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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. staff — employees
  6. season — in sport
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. hand — in cards
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bore — to drill
  14. season — of the year
  15. net — in sport
  16. mark — a trace
  17. hand — help
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. mark — a grade
  20. net — after costs
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bore — to tire
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. fan — to cool the air

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