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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. last — finally
  6. squash — to crush
  7. cue — for pool
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. squash — the sport
  10. cue — a hint
  11. last — final
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. wind — moving air
  16. cue — a signal
  17. wind — moving air
  18. fine — all right
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. fine — high quality
  21. last — to go on
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — to go away
  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