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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  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 — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. bear — the animal
  5. clip — a video
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. kid — to tease
  9. rest — what's left
  10. kid — child
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bear — the animal
  13. clip — to cut
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. rest — a break
  16. cue — for pool
  17. wind — moving air
  18. cue — a signal
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. clip — for paper
  21. rest — what's left
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. cue — a hint
  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