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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mug — a face
  3. fall — to drop
  4. march — music
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. can — to be able to
  7. fall — the season
  8. hand — help
  9. can — a tin
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. fall — to drop
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a cup
  15. hand — in cards
  16. march — the month
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. march — the month
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. can — a tin

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