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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. swing — to play on
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. kid — child
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. kid — to tease
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. swing — music
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a great time
  23. stem — to come from
  24. mouse — for a computer

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