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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.

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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 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 who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. fine — all right
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. fall — to drop
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — newspapers
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. press — to push
  13. fall — the season
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. scale — size or range
  16. fine — high quality
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fine — a penalty

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