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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. degree — from a university
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mate — a partner
  8. degree — an amount
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. mine — for digging
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. degree — temperature
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wake — a trail
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mouse — the animal

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