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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. field — for sport
  8. wound — an injury
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. mug — to rob
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. field — farmland
  18. ball — a great time
  19. wound — an injury
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. field — a subject
  22. ball — a dance
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. mouse — the 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