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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. kid — to tease
  4. roll — a list
  5. roll — a cake
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bank — for money
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. kid — child
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. can — a tin
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. snap — to click
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bank — for money
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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