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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bound — tied together
  3. present — the time now
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. present — there
  6. rush — hurry
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. present — a gift
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. snap — to click
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. bound — certain

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