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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. ground — crushed
  3. land — to come down
  4. ground — the earth
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. rest — a break
  7. clip — to cut
  8. clip — a video
  9. squash — the sport
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. ground — a position
  12. land — a country
  13. rest — what's left
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. squash — to crush
  20. clip — for paper
  21. rest — what's left
  22. lean — thin
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. land — ground

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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