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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. lean — thin
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. ball — a great time
  7. lean — to bend
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. ball — a dance
  12. squash — to crush
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bore — to tire
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. squash — the sport
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bore — to drill

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