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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. band — a ring
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. band — a music group
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. game — a match
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. spring — the season
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. spring — of water
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. lean — to bend
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. lean — thin
  20. spring — a coil
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. suit — to fit
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. suit — in cards

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