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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.

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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: fine · mouse · court · bear · drill · cabinet · lean · wind

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. court — of law
  4. bear — the animal
  5. drill — a practice
  6. lean — thin
  7. court — for sport
  8. lean — to bend
  9. court — of a king
  10. fine — high quality
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fine — all right
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wind — moving air
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — army training
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. mouse — for a computer

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