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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. can — a tin
  5. board — a committee
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. mate — a partner
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cold — not warm
  11. lean — to bend
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. lean — thin
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. mate — to breed
  21. board — to get on
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mate — a friend
  24. cold — an illness

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