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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. mug — to rob
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. mug — a face
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mug — a cup
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. spring — the season
  13. prune — to trim
  14. spring — a coil
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. hand — in cards
  19. spring — of water
  20. capital — a city
  21. hand — help
  22. capital — money
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. lash — to lash out

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com