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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 120 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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. spring — the season
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wind — moving air
  6. land — ground
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. wind — moving air
  12. land — a country
  13. key — for a lock
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. land — to come down
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. spring — of water
  18. key — the most important part
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. squash — to crush
  22. foot — a measure
  23. key — in music
  24. spring — a coil

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