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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. suit — in cards
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. fine — high quality
  6. plane — a tool
  7. foot — a measure
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. wound — an injury
  10. mate — a partner
  11. wound — an injury
  12. suit — to fit
  13. fine — all right
  14. suit — clothes
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. mate — a friend
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. mate — to breed
  22. row — a line
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. row — to paddle

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