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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. squash — to crush
  3. spell — magic
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. spell — letters
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bank — of a river
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. spell — a short time
  11. shower — rain
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. shower — to wash
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. squash — the sport
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a dance
  20. rock — music
  21. bank — for money
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bank — for money
  24. squash — the vegetable

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