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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. court — for sport
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. tear — to rip
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. can — a tin
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. court — of law
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. tear — from crying
  12. rock — a stone
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. can — a tin
  15. tear — from crying
  16. court — of a king
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. can — to be able to
  19. kick — in football
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — a trail
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rock — music
  24. wake — before a funeral

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