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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pop — soda
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. pop — to visit
  9. file — a tool
  10. wound — an injury
  11. chip — to eat
  12. pop — music
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. wound — an injury
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. chip — for betting
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. file — a document
  19. mug — a cup
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — hurry
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. mug — a face
  24. file — a line of people

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