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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. court — of a king
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. hand — in cards
  6. court — of law
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. court — for sport
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. drill — the tool
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. drill — a practice
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. hand — help
  21. snap — to click
  22. drill — army training
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. lash — to lash out

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