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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. fine — high quality
  3. present — a gift
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. present — the time now
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. last — final
  12. content — the amount
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. content — happy
  15. fine — all right
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. present — there
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. last — finally
  23. rush — hurry
  24. last — to go on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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