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

Word bank: arm · mouse · lash · wind · foot · ruler · fork · scale

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. wind — moving air
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. fork — in a road
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. scale — in music
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. wind — moving air
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. scale — size or range
  23. foot — a measure
  24. wind — to turn a key

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