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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. cell — a phone
  4. lean — to bend
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. file — a line of people
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. court — of law
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. file — a tool
  16. court — of a king
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. file — a document
  19. lean — thin
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. cell — in biology

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