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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.

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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
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: fan · tube · bear · hide · pop · pound · mouse · mate

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. pop — music
  4. mate — to breed
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — a container
  8. pop — soda
  9. tube — the underground
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mate — a partner
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pop — to visit
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pound — a weight
  24. fan — to cool the air

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