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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. stem — to come from
  4. game — a match
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. perch — the fish
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. rush — hurry
  15. mug — a cup
  16. deal — to handle
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. mug — a face
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mug — to rob
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rush — a thrill

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