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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rest — a break
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. hand — in cards
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. wind — moving air
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. hand — help
  18. season — of the year
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. squash — the sport
  21. ball — a dance
  22. season — in sport
  23. squash — to crush
  24. ruler — for measuring

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