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

Word bank: object · squash · chest · cabinet · saw · rock

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. chest — of your body
  3. object — a thing
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. squash — to crush
  6. chest — a box
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. squash — the sport
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — a stone
  14. object — to protest
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. saw — the tool
  17. object — an aim
  18. chest — of your body

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