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

Word bank: mouse · snap · fall · racket · bear · trunk · foot · mine

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mine — for digging
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. fall — the season
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. fall — to drop
  13. foot — a measure
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. snap — to click
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. trunk — of a car

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