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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cue — a signal
  6. chest — a box
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bear — the animal
  18. saw — the tool
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bear — the animal
  22. chest — of your body
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. chest — of your body

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