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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fine — high quality
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. squash — to crush
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. chest — of your body
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. chest — of your body
  17. cell — in biology
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. fine — all right
  20. cell — a phone
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. squash — the sport
  24. cell — in a prison

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