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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. wound — an injury
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. perch — the fish
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — for digging
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. fine — high quality
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wound — an injury
  21. fine — all right
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. bear — to put up with

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