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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. rest — a break
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rest — what's left
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. degree — from a university
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. rest — what's left
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — of water
  14. degree — temperature
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. tube — a container
  19. chair — a leader
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. degree — an amount
  23. tube — the underground
  24. mouse — for a computer

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