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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. wound — an injury
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a partner
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. saw — the tool
  11. charge — a price
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. mate — a friend
  16. snap — to click
  17. mine — for digging
  18. charge — electricity
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wound — an injury
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. charge — in control
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. saw — the tool

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