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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 124 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. snap — to click
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — size or range
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. charge — electricity
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bear — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bear — the animal
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. saw — the tool
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. charge — in control
  21. scale — in music
  22. charge — a price
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. foot — the bottom

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