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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. ground — the earth
  3. kid — child
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. cell — a phone
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cell — in biology
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. kid — to tease
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. ruler — for measuring

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