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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. rule — a law
  4. hand — help
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. degree — an amount
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. hand — in cards
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. squash — to crush
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. degree — temperature
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. can — to be able to
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. rule — government
  23. degree — from a university
  24. squash — the sport

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