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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — a box
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. squash — to crush
  6. face — part of the head
  7. face — to confront
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bore — to drill
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bank — for money
  12. bore — to tire
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bank — of a river
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bank — for money
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. mouse — for a computer

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