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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 120 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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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 · chair · present · arm · racket · clip · wound · prune

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. clip — a video
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. present — there
  6. wound — an injury
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. present — a gift
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. chair — a leader
  11. present — the time now
  12. clip — for paper
  13. prune — to trim
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. clip — to cut
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. prune — to trim
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. racket — a loud noise

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