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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 124 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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. object — an aim
  4. can — a tin
  5. object — to protest
  6. chair — a leader
  7. hand — in cards
  8. roll — a cake
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. can — to be able to
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. roll — a list
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. squash — the sport
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. can — a tin
  19. stand — to bear
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. object — a thing
  23. hand — help
  24. chair — to sit on

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