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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  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 — for a computer
  2. wound — an injury
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bore — to drill
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. squash — to crush
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bore — to tire
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. ball — a dance
  13. cue — a signal
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. cue — for pool
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. cue — a hint
  19. wound — an injury
  20. ball — a great time
  21. squash — the sport
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. squash — the vegetable
  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