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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. suit — clothes
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. suit — in cards
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. lean — to bend
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. kid — child
  10. lean — thin
  11. band — a music group
  12. suit — to fit
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. drill — the tool
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. drill — army training
  17. kid — to tease
  18. deal — to handle
  19. snap — to click
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. band — a ring
  22. drill — a practice
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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