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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. drill — the tool
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. mug — a cup
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. swing — music
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. sharp — clever
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. drill — army training
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. drill — a practice
  20. swing — to play on
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. snap — to click
  23. swing — in golf
  24. mug — a face

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