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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: roll · stick · hand · bulb · file · mouse · arm · shower

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. file — a tool
  3. bulb — for light
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. file — a line of people
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bulb — for light
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. hand — help
  12. shower — rain
  13. file — a document
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. roll — a cake
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. roll — a list
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. hand — in cards

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