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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 120 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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. root — of a word
  4. can — a tin
  5. face — to confront
  6. can — a tin
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. land — a country
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. root — the cause
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. can — to be able to
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. land — to come down
  16. squash — to crush
  17. face — part of the head
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. squash — the sport
  20. root — of a plant
  21. land — ground
  22. face — to point toward
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fork — in a road

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