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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. spell — a short time
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. can — a tin
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. degree — from a university
  7. can — a tin
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. spell — letters
  11. stand — to bear
  12. degree — temperature
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bore — to drill
  15. degree — an amount
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. spell — magic
  18. bore — to tire
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. can — to be able to
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. stand — for spectators

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