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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.

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: kick · shower · season · racket · mouse · suit · rock · straw

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. suit — in cards
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — music
  7. shower — to wash
  8. kick — in football
  9. season — of the year
  10. shower — rain
  11. rock — a stone
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. suit — clothes
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. suit — to fit
  21. season — in sport
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. racket — a loud noise

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