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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 · tear · mate · mouse · key · snap · row · ball

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a dance
  5. tear — to rip
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. tear — from crying
  9. snap — to click
  10. tear — from crying
  11. ball — a great time
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. key — the most important part
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. mate — to breed
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. key — for a lock
  19. row — to paddle
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. row — a line
  23. key — in music
  24. mate — a friend

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