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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. fall — to drop
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — part of the head
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. current — electric
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. scale — size or range
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. face — to confront
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. current — happening now
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. current — of water
  16. bulb — for light
  17. fall — the season
  18. scale — in music
  19. fine — all right
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. fine — high quality
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bulb — for light

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