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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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. squash — the sport
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. squash — to crush
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cell — a phone
  11. bear — the animal
  12. face — part of the head
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. face — to confront
  15. cell — in biology
  16. hand — help
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. chair — a leader
  21. bear — the animal
  22. face — to point toward
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bay — a horse colour

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