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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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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. file — a tool
  3. squash — to crush
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. kid — child
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. clip — a video
  12. file — a document
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. clip — for paper
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. kid — to tease
  17. clip — to cut
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. perch — the fish
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. file — a line of people
  22. lie — to recline
  23. pound — a weight
  24. squash — the sport

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