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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. season — in sport
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. kid — to tease
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. charge — electricity
  17. snap — to click
  18. rock — music
  19. pit — in a race
  20. season — of the year
  21. charge — in control
  22. rock — a stone
  23. charge — a price
  24. mouse — for a computer

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