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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. tube — the underground
  4. fall — to drop
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. spring — of water
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. tube — a container
  9. spring — the season
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. wound — an injury
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. suit — to fit
  14. suit — in cards
  15. fall — the season
  16. wound — an injury
  17. fall — to drop
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. stand — to bear
  20. spring — a coil
  21. suit — clothes
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — to tease
  24. mouse — the animal

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