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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. club — for golf
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mine — for digging
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. cell — in biology
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. club — a group
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. club — for dancing
  24. cell — in a prison

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