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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. shower — rain
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. kid — to tease
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. shower — to wash
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pop — music
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. tube — a container
  12. pop — to visit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. band — a music group
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. prune — to trim
  17. kid — child
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. band — a ring
  23. pop — soda
  24. mouse — for a computer

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