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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mug — a face
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. mug — to rob
  5. hand — help
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mug — a cup
  9. hand — in cards
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. object — an aim
  12. wound — an injury
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. dip — to sink
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. wound — an injury
  21. object — a thing
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. object — to protest
  24. coach — a trainer

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