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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 124 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bank — for money
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bank — for money
  6. staff — employees
  7. kick — in football
  8. bound — tied together
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — for betting
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. chip — to eat
  15. fall — to drop
  16. staff — employees
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. bound — obliged
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bound — certain
  21. fall — the season
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bank — of a river

Multiple-meaning words list

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

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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