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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. row — to paddle
  4. land — ground
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. row — a line
  7. bear — the animal
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bear — the animal
  12. tube — the underground
  13. root — of a word
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. land — a country
  16. land — to come down
  17. season — in sport
  18. root — the cause
  19. season — of the year
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — a container

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