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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — size or range
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. file — a document
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bark — to shout
  11. pop — soda
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pop — to visit
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. file — a line of people
  16. scale — in music
  17. file — a tool
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pop — music

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