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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 120 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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. spell — a short time
  11. mark — a grade
  12. band — a ring
  13. spell — magic
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bat — the animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. band — a music group
  19. mark — a trace
  20. spell — letters
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. mouse — the animal

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