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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. ground — the earth
  3. face — part of the head
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. ground — a position
  8. squash — the sport
  9. fall — to drop
  10. file — a document
  11. ball — a dance
  12. swing — music
  13. squash — to crush
  14. file — a line of people
  15. ball — a great time
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. face — to confront
  18. file — a tool
  19. face — to point toward
  20. swing — to play on
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. fall — the season
  23. swing — in golf
  24. ground — crushed

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