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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. key — the most important part
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. rest — what's left
  7. key — in music
  8. pit — a hole
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. key — for a lock
  13. rest — a break
  14. chest — a box
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bat — the animal
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. chest — of your body
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — a container
  24. bowl — a football final

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