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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mate — to breed
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. rest — a break
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. staff — employees
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. staff — a stick
  19. rest — what's left
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the sport
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. calf — a young 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