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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. squash — to crush
  5. cell — a phone
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. squash — the sport
  8. cell — in biology
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. mine — for digging
  11. court — of a king
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. court — for sport
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. court — of law

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