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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. wake — a trail
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. pound — a weight
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. squash — to crush
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. spell — letters
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. spell — magic
  20. squash — the sport
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. spell — a short time

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