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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. squash — to crush
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. mine — for digging
  7. bank — for money
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bank — for money
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bank — of a river
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. plane — a tool
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. squash — the sport
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. dip — to sink
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. swing — in golf
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. swing — music

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