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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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. arm — part of the body
  5. root — of a word
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. spring — of water
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. content — the amount
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — happy
  15. root — the cause
  16. staff — a stick
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wake — a trail
  24. spring — the season

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