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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. court — for sport
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. season — in sport
  6. fall — to drop
  7. rock — music
  8. court — of law
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. snap — to click
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. court — of a king
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. deal — to handle
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. rock — a stone
  24. season — of the year

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