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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. ground — crushed
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — from crying
  8. can — a tin
  9. suit — clothes
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. suit — in cards
  12. ground — a position
  13. suit — to fit
  14. snap — to click
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. can — to be able to
  18. tear — to rip
  19. ball — a great time
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. can — a tin
  23. ground — the earth
  24. mine — an explosive

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