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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: mouse · arm · mate · content · roll · last · tear · pass

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. roll — a cake
  3. mate — to breed
  4. last — to go on
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. content — the amount
  9. roll — a list
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. mate — a friend
  13. content — happy
  14. tear — to rip
  15. mate — a partner
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. last — finally
  21. tear — from crying
  22. last — final
  23. pass — a permit
  24. mouse — for a computer

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