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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. shower — to wash
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. season — in sport
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. season — of the year
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. key — the most important part
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. key — in music
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. shower — rain
  24. calf — a young animal

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