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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. cell — in biology
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. mine — for digging
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cell — a phone
  18. stem — to come from
  19. band — a music group
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — of a tree

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