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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: jam · content · fan · bass · mouse · wake · spring · arm

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. content — happy
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bass — the fish
  9. spring — the season
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. spring — of water
  18. content — the amount
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bass — low music
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. spring — a coil
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. fan — a supporter

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