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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. date — the fruit
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. rest — a break
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wake — a trail
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. deal — to handle
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  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