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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. shower — rain
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. cell — a phone
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. rush — hurry
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. spell — a short time
  13. roll — a list
  14. roll — a cake
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. chair — a leader
  21. spell — magic
  22. shower — to wash
  23. toast — bread
  24. spell — letters

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