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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — in cards
  4. snap — to click
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. stem — to come from
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. hand — help
  13. cue — a signal
  14. squash — to crush
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — for pool
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. pound — a weight
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. mouse — the animal

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