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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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. bear — the animal
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. shower — to wash
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. stand — to bear
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. race — the arms race
  13. bore — to tire
  14. shower — rain
  15. current — electric
  16. current — of water
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. bore — to drill
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. race — humankind
  21. current — happening now
  22. race — a contest
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. kick — in football

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