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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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Word bank
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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. rash — hasty
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. rash — a series
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. squash — the sport
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. snap — to click
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — size or range
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. date — the fruit
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. rule — government
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. squash — to crush
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. rule — a law
  24. date — on the calendar

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