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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. cell — in biology
  5. degree — from a university
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. degree — temperature
  9. rest — what's left
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. cell — a phone
  13. court — of a king
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. rest — a break
  20. court — of law
  21. court — for sport
  22. degree — an amount
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rest — what's left

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