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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. pit — in a race
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. fine — high quality
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. row — a line
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bulb — for light
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. hand — help
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. saw — the tool
  21. fine — all right
  22. pit — a hole
  23. hand — in cards
  24. wake — a trail

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