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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. craft — boats
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. cell — in biology
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. chest — a box
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. cell — a phone
  14. chest — of your body
  15. pitch — completely
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. pound — a weight
  20. craft — a skill
  21. wake — a trail
  22. chest — of your body
  23. saw — the tool
  24. cell — in a prison

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