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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.

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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: mine · mouse · present · snap · cabinet · bear · perch · ball

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. present — a gift
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bear — the animal
  9. present — the time now
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. present — there
  13. perch — the fish
  14. snap — to click
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. ball — a dance
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. ball — a great time
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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