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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. net — in sport
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bat — the animal
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. race — humankind
  12. stand — to bear
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. chest — of your body
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. race — a contest
  17. net — for catching
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bear — the animal
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. chest — a box
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. net — after costs
  24. bat — for baseball

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