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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: jam · rock · bank · arm · content · tear · rest · mouse

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. tear — from crying
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — happy
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bank — of a river
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bank — for money
  12. rock — music
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. bank — for money
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. tear — to rip
  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