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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. object — an aim
  3. spell — a short time
  4. cue — a hint
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. can — a tin
  8. mine — for digging
  9. wind — moving air
  10. can — a tin
  11. rock — music
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. object — to protest
  15. rock — a stone
  16. object — a thing
  17. spell — magic
  18. cue — a signal
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. wind — moving air
  21. can — to be able to
  22. spell — letters
  23. cue — for pool
  24. mouse — for a computer

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