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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. fall — to drop
  4. kid — child
  5. squash — the sport
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. foot — a measure
  12. fall — to drop
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. squash — to crush
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. fall — the season

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