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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mouse · pitcher · lie · file · can · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. file — a document
  4. squash — the sport
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. can — a tin
  9. squash — to crush
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. file — a line of people
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. lie — to recline
  18. file — a tool

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