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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 116 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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. pass — a permit
  6. rash — hasty
  7. content — happy
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rash — a series
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. content — the amount
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. racket — for tennis

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