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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bear — the animal
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. mug — to rob
  7. current — electric
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. current — happening now
  10. roll — a cake
  11. mug — a face
  12. current — of water
  13. bass — the fish
  14. cell — a phone
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. cell — in biology
  18. roll — a list
  19. tube — a container
  20. bass — low music
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. mug — a cup

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