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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mug — to rob
  4. snap — to click
  5. mug — a cup
  6. drill — a practice
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. board — to get on
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. kick — in football
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. drill — army training
  18. drill — the tool
  19. mug — a face
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. tear — to rip
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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