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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. deal — to handle
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. wound — an injury
  7. squash — to crush
  8. wound — an injury
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. can — a tin
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — the sport
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. can — to be able to
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. kick — in football
  22. can — a tin
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — music

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