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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: cabinet · tear · bulb · spell · arm · mouse · season · foot

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. spell — magic
  4. season — of the year
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. season — in sport
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bulb — for light
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bulb — for light
  15. spell — a short time
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. spell — letters
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. tear — to rip
  23. foot — a measure
  24. arm — part of the body

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