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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. prune — to trim
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. march — the month
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rule — government
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. squash — to crush
  17. prune — to trim
  18. march — the month
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rule — a law
  21. march — music
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. prune — the fruit

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