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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. saw — the tool
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. can — to be able to
  9. saw — the tool
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. charge — electricity
  12. band — a music group
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. charge — a price
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — a container
  17. fork — in a road
  18. charge — in control
  19. can — a tin
  20. band — a ring
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. can — a tin
  24. mouse — for a computer

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