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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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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. current — of water
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. squash — to crush
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — a partner
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. wound — an injury
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. current — happening now
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mate — to breed
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — there
  19. wound — an injury
  20. current — electric
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. hand — in cards
  23. squash — the sport
  24. present — a gift

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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