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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rule — a law
  6. rule — government
  7. degree — temperature
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. march — music
  11. march — the month
  12. bulb — for light
  13. degree — from a university
  14. march — the month
  15. lie — to recline
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. bulb — for light
  21. degree — an amount
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. wave — with your hand

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