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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. shower — to wash
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cell — a phone
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. shower — rain
  21. cell — in biology
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. nail — on a finger

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