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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. squash — the sport
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. swing — music
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. swing — in golf
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. object — a thing
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. swing — to play on
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. scale — in music
  16. charge — a price
  17. squash — to crush
  18. mine — for digging
  19. charge — in control
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. scale — size or range
  22. object — an aim
  23. charge — electricity
  24. squash — the vegetable

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