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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. object — a thing
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. cold — an illness
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. object — to protest
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. cold — not warm
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. object — an aim
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. branch — a division
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. scale — in music
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. roll — a list
  24. roll — a cake

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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