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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: mouse · fall · game · bass · swing · wake · rash · arm

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. game — wild animals
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. fall — to drop
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. swing — to play on
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — a series
  10. wake — a trail
  11. swing — in golf
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — low music
  15. swing — music
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fall — the season
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. rash — hasty
  20. fall — to drop
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. game — a match
  24. mouse — the animal

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