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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. content — the amount
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. shower — rain
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. shower — to wash
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. row — to paddle
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rash — a series
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. content — happy
  18. rash — hasty
  19. row — a line
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. fine — high quality
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. fine — all right

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