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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. band — a music group
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — to bend
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. squash — the sport
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. band — a ring
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. lean — thin
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. snap — to click
  24. band — a rubber band

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