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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 120 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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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: rest · bowl · pound · perch · bay · mouse · spring · arm

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. rest — a break
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. rest — what's left
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — the season
  15. perch — the fish
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. mouse — for a computer

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