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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. object — an aim
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. pop — to visit
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. pop — soda
  13. bat — the animal
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. shower — to wash
  17. object — a thing
  18. stem — to come from
  19. shower — rain
  20. object — to protest
  21. wake — a trail
  22. pop — music
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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