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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bound — tied together
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bound — obliged
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. ground — the earth
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bound — certain
  14. ground — crushed
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cap — a lid
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. ground — a position
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bass — low music
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. cap — a hat
  24. calf — a young animal

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