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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: row · wound · arm · nail · rock · hand · mouse · cabinet

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. hand — help
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. hand — in cards
  9. rock — a stone
  10. wound — an injury
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — to paddle
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. row — a line
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rock — music

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