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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: net · leaves · season · mouse · bear · kid · present · mine

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. present — a gift
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. season — in sport
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. net — for catching
  7. bear — the animal
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. mine — for digging
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bear — the animal
  14. present — there
  15. net — in sport
  16. season — of the year
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. kid — child
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. present — the time now
  21. net — after costs
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. kid — to tease

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