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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. bound — obliged
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bound — tied together
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. scale — size or range
  12. rest — what's left
  13. cell — in biology
  14. scale — in music
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bound — certain
  18. rest — what's left
  19. cell — a phone
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. fan — a supporter

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