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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. club — for dancing
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. object — an aim
  12. rush — hurry
  13. club — a group
  14. wind — moving air
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. spell — a short time
  17. object — a thing
  18. spell — letters
  19. scale — in music
  20. spell — magic
  21. club — for golf
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. object — to protest
  24. rush — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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