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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. degree — temperature
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. land — a country
  8. mate — to breed
  9. squash — the sport
  10. mate — a partner
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. dip — to sink
  13. mate — a friend
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. degree — an amount
  16. wound — an injury
  17. land — to come down
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. degree — from a university
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. land — ground
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. squash — to crush

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