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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. firm — decided
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. firm — a company
  6. lie — to recline
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fine — all right
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. firm — steady
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. branch — a division
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. fine — high quality
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bat — in an idiom
  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