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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. kid — child
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. current — happening now
  8. ground — a position
  9. current — of water
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — music
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. pop — soda
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. kid — to tease
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. ground — the earth
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. ground — crushed
  24. current — electric

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