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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. squash — to crush
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. squash — the sport
  16. chair — a leader
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. ball — a dance
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ruler — for measuring

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