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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: rush · snap · mouse · arm · pound · tube · chair · temple

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. pound — a weight
  7. tube — a container
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rush — hurry
  14. chair — a leader
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to click
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. arm — a part of something

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