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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cue — for pool
  4. pop — soda
  5. squash — to crush
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. chest — a box
  11. chest — of your body
  12. squash — the sport
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. chest — of your body
  15. cold — not warm
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pop — music
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. pop — to visit
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cold — an illness
  23. cue — a hint
  24. fan — a supporter

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