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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.

Make a worksheet

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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wind · squash · arm · staff · mouse · can

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — moving air
  4. squash — to crush
  5. staff — employees
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. staff — employees
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. squash — the sport
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. can — a tin
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. staff — a stick
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin

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