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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 120 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. can — to be able to
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. can — a tin
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. wound — an injury
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lean — to bend
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. dip — to sink
  14. foot — a measure
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. can — a tin
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. wound — an injury
  24. lean — thin

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