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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. present — there
  3. fine — all right
  4. wound — an injury
  5. roll — a list
  6. rash — a series
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wound — an injury
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. roll — a cake
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. rash — hasty
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. fine — high quality
  19. band — a ring
  20. present — the time now
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. band — a music group
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. present — a gift

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