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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mate — a friend
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fine — all right
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. mate — to breed
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. mate — a partner
  13. shower — rain
  14. bear — the animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. fine — high quality
  17. branch — a division
  18. bear — the animal
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — army training
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. drill — the tool
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. shower — to wash

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