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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. cell — in biology
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bound — obliged
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bound — certain
  11. bound — tied together
  12. spring — a coil
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. spring — of water
  17. bear — the animal
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. cell — a phone
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. rest — what's left
  24. spring — the season

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