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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. tube — a container
  4. swing — music
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. swing — to play on
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. snap — to click
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. tube — the underground
  18. band — a ring
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. band — a music group
  21. swing — in golf
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. toast — bread
  24. tube — in a tire

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