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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. cap — of ice
  4. snap — to click
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bear — the animal
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. cap — a hat
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. cap — a lid
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. chest — a box
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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