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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. spell — a short time
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. pound — a weight
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — in sport
  10. land — ground
  11. spell — letters
  12. squash — the sport
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. squash — to crush
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. land — to come down
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. spell — magic
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. land — a country
  24. mouse — for a computer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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