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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 116 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.

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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. snap — to click
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. spell — letters
  10. squash — the sport
  11. rash — a series
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. spell — a short time
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. squash — to crush
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. spell — magic
  18. snap — to snap out of it

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