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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 124 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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. band — a music group
  7. charge — a price
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. dip — to sink
  11. wind — moving air
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stand — to bear
  15. band — a ring
  16. rock — music
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. rock — a stone
  20. wind — moving air
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. charge — in control
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. charge — electricity

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