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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. rest — a break
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mine — for digging
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wake — a trail
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wound — an injury
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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