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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 124 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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. wound — an injury
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. spring — of water
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. pit — in a race
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — the season
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. rush — hurry
  20. wound — an injury
  21. foot — a measure
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. pit — a hole
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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