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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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. present — a gift
  3. saw — the tool
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. present — there
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. shower — to wash
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. present — the time now
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. shower — rain
  19. squash — to crush
  20. perch — the fish
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. saw — the tool
  24. cabinet — ministers

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