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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: mouse · march · mate · roll · saw · arm · fall · staff

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. fall — the season
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. fall — to drop
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. march — the month
  11. roll — a cake
  12. roll — a list
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. staff — employees
  15. saw — the tool
  16. march — music
  17. fall — to drop
  18. staff — a stick
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — a partner
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. march — the month
  24. mate — to breed

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