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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.

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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. spring — a coil
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. can — a tin
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — music
  11. can — a tin
  12. spring — of water
  13. shower — to wash
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. can — to be able to
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. saw — the tool
  23. spring — the season
  24. shower — rain

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