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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. rock — a stone
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. row — to paddle
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. row — a line
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. rock — music
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. shower — to wash
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. kick — in football
  22. deal — to handle
  23. mine — for digging
  24. shower — rain

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