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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. capital — money
  3. shower — rain
  4. ball — a dance
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. ball — a great time
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. pass — a permit
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. shower — to wash
  21. capital — a city
  22. tube — the underground
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. safe — out of danger

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