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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cold — an illness
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — size or range
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. scale — in music
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. pop — soda
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. mark — a grade
  21. pop — to visit
  22. cold — not warm
  23. hand — help
  24. pop — music

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