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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 120 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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. chest — of your body
  4. suit — in cards
  5. chest — of your body
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. pound — a weight
  10. squash — the sport
  11. fall — to drop
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. suit — clothes
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. squash — to crush
  18. suit — to fit
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fall — the season
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. fall — to drop

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