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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — to push
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. saw — the tool
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. board — to get on
  15. saw — the tool
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. kid — child
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. date — the fruit
  20. press — a publisher
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. kid — to tease
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. board — a committee

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