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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.

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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — to crush
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. craft — a skill
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. scale — size or range
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. scale — in music
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. craft — boats

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