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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.

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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. capital — money
  4. spell — a short time
  5. pass — a permit
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. spell — letters
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. spell — magic
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. capital — a city
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. nail — on a finger

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