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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. tube — the underground
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bound — certain
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. tube — a container
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bound — tied together
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. row — to paddle
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. wind — moving air
  22. row — a line
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bound — obliged

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