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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. saw — the tool
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. can — to be able to
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. net — for catching
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. net — in sport
  11. wake — a trail
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. can — a tin
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. wound — an injury
  20. saw — the tool
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. net — after costs
  23. can — a tin
  24. mouse — the animal

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