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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. spring — a coil
  3. mug — to rob
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — in cards
  7. net — after costs
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. deal — to handle
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. net — for catching
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. net — in sport
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mug — a face
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. spring — the season
  24. spring — of water

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