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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. swing — to play on
  4. fork — in a road
  5. rush — hurry
  6. swing — music
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. swing — in golf
  9. spring — of water
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. mug — to rob
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. spring — a coil
  20. mug — a face
  21. spring — the season
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. scale — size or range
  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