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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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Word bank
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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. cold — not warm
  3. cold — an illness
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. foot — a measure
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. kick — in football
  11. craft — boats
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mine — for digging
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. rush — hurry
  24. craft — a skill

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