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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: deal · mouse · snap · lean · season · content · wake · kid

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wake — a trail
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. content — happy
  5. lean — to bend
  6. kid — child
  7. deal — to handle
  8. lean — thin
  9. snap — to click
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. content — the amount
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. kid — to tease
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — in sport
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. season — of the year
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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