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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. can — to be able to
  4. suit — to fit
  5. cold — an illness
  6. can — a tin
  7. mine — for digging
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. craft — boats
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. craft — a skill
  14. kick — in football
  15. suit — clothes
  16. cold — not warm
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. branch — a division
  20. can — a tin
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. suit — in cards

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