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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mouse · rash · club · ruler · arm · suit · chest · spring

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  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. spring — of water
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. club — for dancing
  4. chest — of your body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. club — a group
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. chest — a box
  10. spring — a coil
  11. suit — clothes
  12. rash — hasty
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rash — a series
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. suit — to fit
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. club — for golf
  23. spring — the season
  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