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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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. shower — a meteor shower
  4. bear — the animal
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. cap — a lid
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. shower — to wash
  10. cap — of ice
  11. shower — rain
  12. cap — a hat
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bore — to tire
  16. squash — to crush
  17. bore — to drill
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. hand — help
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. hand — in cards
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bore — gave birth

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