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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 116 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. staff — employees
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. face — to confront
  8. wind — moving air
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. face — to point toward
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — a position
  15. staff — employees
  16. wind — moving air
  17. squash — the sport
  18. face — part of the head
  19. squash — to crush
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. ground — crushed
  22. staff — a stick
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. mouse — the animal

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