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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. drill — army training
  4. suit — in cards
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. drill — the tool
  8. suit — clothes
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cell — a phone
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. craft — boats
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. wake — a trail
  16. craft — a skill
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. drill — a practice
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. capital — a city
  22. cell — in biology
  23. suit — to fit
  24. capital — money

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