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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.

Make a worksheet

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: arm · saw · staff · mouse · foot · bat · rock · dip

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — a stick
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. foot — a measure
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. rock — a stone
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bat — the animal
  19. staff — employees
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. saw — the tool
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. saw — the tool

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