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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 120 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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468
Word bank
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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mate — to breed
  4. ball — a great time
  5. game — a match
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. season — of the year
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. game — wild animals
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bulb — for light
  18. dip — to sink
  19. mate — a partner
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. season — in sport
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. hide — to keep secret

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