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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. row — to paddle
  3. chest — of your body
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bound — certain
  6. chest — a box
  7. bound — tied together
  8. row — a line
  9. squash — the sport
  10. chest — of your body
  11. hand — in cards
  12. drill — the tool
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a dance
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. drill — army training
  19. squash — to crush
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bound — obliged
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. hand — help
  24. drill — a practice

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