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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 120 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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. staff — employees
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. fork — in a road
  6. chest — of your body
  7. staff — employees
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. perch — the fish
  11. chest — a box
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. staff — a stick
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. chest — of your body
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bass — low music
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bass — the fish
  23. deal — to handle
  24. mouse — the animal

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