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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. cap — a lid
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. shower — to wash
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. capital — a city
  19. shower — rain
  20. cap — a hat
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. capital — money
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. cap — of ice

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