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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: kick · row · chest · arm · mouse · club · saw · suit

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. suit — clothes
  3. saw — the tool
  4. club — for golf
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. saw — the tool
  10. row — a line
  11. suit — in cards
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — in football
  14. club — for dancing
  15. row — to paddle
  16. chest — of your body
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. chest — a box
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. suit — to fit
  24. chest — of your 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