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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. key — the most important part
  7. scale — size or range
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. key — in music
  10. mate — to breed
  11. scale — in music
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. key — for a lock
  14. squash — to crush
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — a friend
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rush — hurry
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. squash — the sport
  24. wound — an injury

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