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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. cap — a lid
  3. rest — a break
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. drill — a practice
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. drill — the tool
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cap — a hat
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — rain
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. rest — what's left
  19. snap — to click
  20. rest — what's left
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. drill — army training
  23. calf — a young animal
  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