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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  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. cabinet — ministers
  3. cold — an illness
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. charge — in control
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. mug — a cup
  9. charge — electricity
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. pop — to visit
  12. mug — a face
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. cold — not warm
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. ball — a dance
  17. charge — a price
  18. ball — a great time
  19. pop — soda
  20. pop — music
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  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