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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.

Words on the sheet
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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — a practice
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — child
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. kid — to tease
  13. deal — to handle
  14. season — in sport
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. chip — for betting
  18. kick — in football
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. season — of the year
  22. perch — the fish
  23. drill — the tool
  24. chip — to eat

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