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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.

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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. cell — a phone
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. deal — to handle
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. rock — music
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rock — a stone
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. kid — to tease
  15. wound — an injury
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. kid — child
  18. ball — a great time
  19. cell — in biology
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. ball — a dance
  23. stem — to come from
  24. mouse — the animal

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