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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. rock — music
  4. swing — to play on
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mark — a trace
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. branch — a division
  14. swing — in golf
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. rock — a stone
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. mark — a grade
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. swing — music

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