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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. roll — a list
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. snap — to click
  5. chest — of your body
  6. ground — crushed
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. chest — of your body
  12. ground — the earth
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. ground — a position
  15. chest — a box
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. roll — a cake
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. roll — on a roll

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