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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. fall — the season
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. field — a subject
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. mug — a face
  14. bark — to shout
  15. fall — to drop
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mug — a cup
  19. field — for sport
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. field — farmland

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