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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. file — a line of people
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. scale — size or range
  8. capital — money
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. file — a document
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. file — a tool
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. capital — a city
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. scale — in music
  24. mouse — the animal

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