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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bank — for money
  3. kick — in football
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. rush — hurry
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bank — of a river
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bank — for money
  16. bat — the animal
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. pop — music
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. pop — soda
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. rush — to hurry

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