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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. charge — a price
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. branch — a division
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. charge — electricity
  11. mark — a grade
  12. charge — in control
  13. kid — child
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. sharp — clever
  22. kid — to tease
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. mark — a trace

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