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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 124 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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468
Word bank
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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. content — happy
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chest — of your body
  8. rock — a stone
  9. season — of the year
  10. chair — a leader
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. squash — to crush
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. rock — music
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. content — the amount
  18. squash — the sport
  19. chest — a box
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. season — in sport
  24. nail — on a finger

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