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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 116 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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. last — to go on
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. shower — to wash
  5. rash — a series
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bore — to drill
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. hand — in cards
  12. last — final
  13. hand — help
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. last — finally
  18. shower — rain
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bore — to tire
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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