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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — employees
  18. rest — a break
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. staff — a stick
  21. rest — what's left
  22. shower — to wash
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. shower — rain

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