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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. snap — to click
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. mark — a trace
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. mark — a grade
  15. tube — a container
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pound — a weight
  18. tube — the underground

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