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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. row — a line
  3. bore — to tire
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. cell — a phone
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. fine — high quality
  13. vault — a safe
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. row — to paddle
  16. fine — all right
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. rush — hurry
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. cell — in biology

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