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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 120 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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mug — to rob
  7. squash — the sport
  8. mug — a face
  9. pop — music
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. row — a line
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. mug — a cup
  16. pop — soda
  17. squash — to crush
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. pop — to visit
  20. kid — to tease
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. kid — child
  24. coach — a trainer

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