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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: kid · mouse · ball · wound · track · lean · snap · can

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. can — a tin
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. can — a tin
  7. track — a song
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. lean — thin
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. kid — to tease
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. can — to be able to
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — to bend
  19. ball — a dance
  20. kid — child
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to click
  23. track — a path
  24. ball — a great time

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