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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: spell · lean · wind · calf · mouse · chest · tube · ball

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wind — moving air
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. chest — of your body
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. ball — a dance
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. spell — magic
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. lean — to bend
  14. chest — a box
  15. spell — a short time
  16. ball — a great time
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — the underground
  19. lean — thin
  20. tube — a container
  21. wind — moving air
  22. spell — letters
  23. chest — of your body
  24. ball — a round shape

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