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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mine — for digging
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. tube — the underground
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. ball — a great time
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rush — hurry
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. squash — the sport
  23. ball — a dance
  24. tube — a container

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