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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — decided
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. lean — thin
  7. mate — a partner
  8. pop — to visit
  9. drill — a practice
  10. lean — to bend
  11. roll — a cake
  12. mate — a friend
  13. drill — the tool
  14. pop — music
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. pop — soda
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mate — to breed
  21. drill — army training
  22. firm — a company
  23. date — the fruit
  24. roll — a list

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