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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. squash — the sport
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. ball — a great time
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. wound — an injury
  16. perch — the fish
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. ball — a dance
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. squash — to crush
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. lie — to recline

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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