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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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Word bank
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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. fine — all right
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rash — a series
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. fine — high quality
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. key — the most important part
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. branch — a division
  17. squash — the sport
  18. key — for a lock
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. squash — to crush
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. key — in music
  24. rash — hasty

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