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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. lie — to recline
  3. pound — a weight
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. squash — the sport
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. band — a ring
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. shower — to wash
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. band — a music group
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — to bear
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. squash — to crush
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. mark — a grade
  24. shower — rain

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