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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tear · key · mouse · mug · scale · ruler · arm · spring

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — to rob
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. tear — to rip
  9. scale — size or range
  10. key — the most important part
  11. tear — from crying
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. spring — the season
  17. key — for a lock
  18. mug — a cup
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. spring — a coil
  21. scale — in music
  22. tear — from crying
  23. key — in music
  24. spring — of water

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