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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mark — a trace
  3. cell — in biology
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bank — of a river
  6. season — of the year
  7. cell — a phone
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. band — a ring
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bank — for money
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a music group
  14. season — in sport
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. bank — for money
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. arm — part of the body

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