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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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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. mug — a face
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. board — to get on
  10. clip — to cut
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. board — a committee
  14. clip — a video
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. shower — rain
  20. mug — a cup
  21. clip — for paper
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mug — to rob

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