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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 116 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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. present — the time now
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. rock — a stone
  5. present — a gift
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — help
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. snap — to click
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. present — there
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. rock — music
  18. hand — part of the body

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