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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — a group
  5. wake — a trail
  6. lean — to bend
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. key — in music
  11. tube — a container
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. staff — employees
  14. key — the most important part
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. key — for a lock
  18. lean — thin
  19. staff — a stick
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. staff — employees
  23. club — for golf
  24. tube — the underground

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