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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 120 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
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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: spring · arm · bowl · temple · mug · mouse · pound · file

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  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. mug — a face
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. mug — to rob
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. mug — a cup
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. file — a line of people
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. spring — of water
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. spring — the season
  19. file — a tool
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. file — a document
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. spring — a coil
  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