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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: mouse · spring · arm · pass · date · calf · cell · toast

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. cell — a phone
  5. toast — bread
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. spring — of water
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. pass — a permit
  10. spring — a coil
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. spring — the season
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — the fruit
  24. cell — in biology

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