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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bass — low music
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. bank — of a river
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bank — for money
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bank — for money
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — the fish
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. lash — to lash out

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