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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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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: mate · racket · lie · bass · arm · mouse · stand · wound

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wound — an injury
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wound — an injury
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — to bear
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a friend
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bass — low music
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bass — the fish
  23. mate — a partner
  24. lie — to recline

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