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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bound — certain
  4. rock — music
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bound — obliged
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. key — for a lock
  13. shower — to wash
  14. bear — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. key — the most important part
  19. branch — a division
  20. bound — tied together
  21. key — in music
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. shower — rain
  24. branch — of a bank

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