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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. spring — the season
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. spring — a coil
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mug — to rob
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. band — a music group
  12. spring — of water
  13. band — a ring
  14. rush — hurry
  15. branch — a division
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — a cup
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. arm — a part of something

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