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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.

Make a worksheet

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: club · wake · cabinet · scale · can · mouse · arm · chest

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. club — for dancing
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. chest — of your body
  8. can — to be able to
  9. wake — a trail
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. scale — size or range
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. can — a tin
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. can — a tin
  19. chest — a box
  20. club — a group
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. club — for golf
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. scale — in music

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