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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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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: bat · deal · bore · wake · mouse · arm · toast · bass

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bass — low music
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bore — to drill
  15. toast — bread
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bore — to tire
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. wake — a trail

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