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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. shower — rain
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. chip — to eat
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. vault — a safe
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. shower — to wash
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. mine — for digging
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. snap — to click
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — for betting

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