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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ball · scale · leaves · mouse · chair · safe · clip · bear

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — a video
  5. scale — size or range
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chair — a leader
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. scale — in music
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. ball — a great time
  23. clip — for paper
  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