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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. key — for a lock
  5. pit — a hole
  6. rock — music
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — help
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. hand — in cards
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. dip — to sink
  20. key — the most important part
  21. rock — a stone
  22. key — in music
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pit — in a race

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