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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. march — the month
  3. squash — to crush
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rule — a law
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. spring — of water
  9. march — the month
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. march — music
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. kid — to tease
  14. squash — the sport
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. spring — a coil
  17. rule — government
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. kid — child
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. spring — the season
  24. saw — the tool

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