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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: mark · mug · leaves · file · game · racket · arm · snap

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. mark — a grade
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. game — a match
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. mark — a trace
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. mug — to rob
  12. snap — to click
  13. mug — a face
  14. file — a tool
  15. game — wild animals
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. file — a line of people
  18. mug — a cup
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. file — a document
  24. arm — part of the body

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