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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. band — a music group
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. pop — to visit
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. pop — music
  10. bank — for money
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. pop — soda
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. snap — to click
  15. band — a ring
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. arm — a part of something

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