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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.

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: game · lean · mouse · kick · bear · chest · rock · mug

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. kick — in football
  4. game — wild animals
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. chest — a box
  8. bear — the animal
  9. lean — thin
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. lean — to bend
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mug — a cup
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. game — a match
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rock — a stone
  21. chest — of your body
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mug — a face
  24. game — a kind of play

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