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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. hand — help
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — a measure
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rule — a law
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — part of the body

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