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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.

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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: mouse · rule · squash · mark · saw · rash · spring · lie

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  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. spring — the season
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rule — a law
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. mark — a trace
  12. squash — to crush
  13. rule — government
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. spring — of water
  19. rash — a series
  20. spring — a coil
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. squash — the sport
  23. lie — to recline
  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