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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 120 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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. game — a match
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. drill — the tool
  5. dip — to sink
  6. shower — rain
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. object — a thing
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. object — an aim
  12. drill — a practice
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. drill — army training
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. object — to protest
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. game — wild animals
  23. foot — a measure
  24. shower — to wash

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