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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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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: last · present · mouse · fork · fan · bat · arm · rest

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. present — there
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bat — the animal
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. last — finally
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. present — the time now
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. present — a gift
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. fork — in a road
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rest — a break
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. last — final
  24. last — to go on

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