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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. roll — a cake
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. rash — hasty
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rash — a series
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. roll — a list
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — to drop
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to point toward
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. fall — the season
  18. face — to confront
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. pitch — completely
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. nail — for a hammer

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