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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: snap · kid · cabinet · fall · mouse · wave · wound · bear

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. kid — child
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fall — the season
  7. kid — to tease
  8. snap — to click
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wound — an injury
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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