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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mug — a face
  4. wound — an injury
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. board — a committee
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. kid — to tease
  11. pound — a weight
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. board — to get on
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. vault — a safe
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. kid — child
  20. wound — an injury
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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