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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 116 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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kid — child
  4. snap — to click
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. club — a group
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — boats
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. cell — in biology
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mug — a cup
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. club — for dancing
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mug — a face
  24. club — for golf

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