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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. can — a tin
  6. last — finally
  7. chest — of your body
  8. degree — temperature
  9. chest — a box
  10. object — to protest
  11. object — a thing
  12. can — to be able to
  13. last — to go on
  14. cue — a hint
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. degree — an amount
  17. object — an aim
  18. cue — for pool
  19. can — a tin
  20. degree — from a university
  21. chest — of your body
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. last — final
  24. cue — a signal

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