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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. snap — to click
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. season — of the year
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. season — in sport
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bear — the animal
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. band — a music group
  17. band — a ring
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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