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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.

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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. track — a path
  6. mine — for digging
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. track — a song
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. track — to keep track

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