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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — low music
  10. cold — not warm
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cold — an illness
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. chair — a leader
  16. kid — child
  17. spell — a short time
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — magic
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bass — the fish
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. kid — to tease

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