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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: deal · swing · temple · present · last · fork · arm · mouse

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. present — a gift
  5. deal — to handle
  6. swing — to play on
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. last — to go on
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. swing — music
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. fork — in a road
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — there
  21. last — final
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. swing — in golf
  24. last — finally

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