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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. last — final
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. mark — a trace
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — an amount
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. cold — not warm
  15. mark — a grade
  16. cold — an illness
  17. last — to go on
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. last — finally
  20. fine — all right
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. fine — high quality

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