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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. lean — thin
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. band — a ring
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mine — for digging
  20. lean — to bend
  21. band — a music group
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. snap — to click

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