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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 120 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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. shower — rain
  3. staff — employees
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. last — finally
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. last — final
  9. staff — employees
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. kid — to tease
  12. bear — the animal
  13. ball — a dance
  14. last — to go on
  15. ball — a great time
  16. staff — a stick
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. kid — child
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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