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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. file — a line of people
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — for money
  6. content — happy
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bank — of a river
  9. squash — the sport
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. file — a document
  13. hand — in cards
  14. fine — all right
  15. hand — help
  16. squash — to crush
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. content — the amount
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. file — a tool

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