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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. swing — to play on
  5. staff — a stick
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a great time
  9. staff — employees
  10. face — to point toward
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. tube — a container
  13. staff — employees
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. swing — music
  16. snap — to click
  17. face — part of the head
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — a subject
  21. face — to confront
  22. tube — the underground
  23. ball — a dance
  24. swing — in golf

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