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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mug — a face
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — of your body
  9. key — the most important part
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mug — to rob
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. key — in music
  15. file — a tool
  16. mug — a cup
  17. key — for a lock
  18. chest — a box
  19. rush — hurry
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bulb — for light
  22. file — a document
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bulb — of a plant

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