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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. race — humankind
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. kid — to tease
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. spring — of water
  14. foot — a measure
  15. race — the arms race
  16. kid — child
  17. track — a path
  18. spring — the season
  19. track — a song
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. spring — a coil
  23. race — a contest
  24. rush — to hurry

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