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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. race — a contest
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. object — a thing
  6. staff — employees
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. sharp — clever
  10. race — humankind
  11. rush — hurry
  12. staff — a stick
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. race — the arms race
  16. clip — a video
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. clip — for paper
  19. ball — a dance
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — an aim
  22. ball — a great time
  23. staff — employees
  24. clip — to cut

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