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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fan · hand · mouse · firm · wake · bear

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. hand — help
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. firm — a company
  8. wake — a trail
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. firm — decided
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. firm — steady
  16. hand — in cards
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter

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