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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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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: ball · mouse · snap · bear · arm · band · trunk · race

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to click
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. band — a music group
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. ball — a great time
  13. band — a ring
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. race — humankind
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. race — a contest
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. race — the arms race

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