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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. charge — a price
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. foot — a measure
  5. bass — the fish
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. tube — a container
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. charge — in control
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. charge — electricity
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bass — low music
  19. tear — to rip
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — a trail
  23. tube — the underground
  24. arm — part of the body

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