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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 124 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. current — electric
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. lean — thin
  6. shower — rain
  7. current — happening now
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. spell — magic
  12. tube — a container
  13. current — of water
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. spell — a short time
  16. mate — a partner
  17. tube — the underground
  18. shower — to wash
  19. mate — to breed
  20. spell — letters
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. mate — a friend
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — to rest against

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