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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  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. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the sport
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bank — for money
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. spell — letters
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of a king
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. hand — in cards
  11. court — of law
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. spell — a short time
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. spell — magic
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. spring — the season
  21. bank — for money
  22. spring — of water
  23. hand — help
  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