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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. key — in music
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. fall — to drop
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. spring — a coil
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. fall — the season
  9. key — for a lock
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. key — the most important part
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a dance
  15. fall — to drop
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. spring — of water
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. spring — the season
  24. dip — to sink

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