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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 124 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. chest — a box
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bank — of a river
  5. wind — moving air
  6. chest — of your body
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. charge — in control
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. chest — of your body
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — electricity
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bank — for money
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. hand — help
  22. bank — for money
  23. fork — in a road
  24. mouse — the animal

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