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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. charge — in control
  11. wind — moving air
  12. drill — army training
  13. charge — a price
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. plane — a tool
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bat — the animal
  23. drill — a practice
  24. wind — moving air

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