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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. chest — of your body
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. chest — of your body
  8. wind — moving air
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. snap — to click
  14. mine — for digging
  15. season — in sport
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pass — a permit
  19. chest — a box
  20. season — of the year
  21. wind — moving air
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pass — to succeed

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