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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · file · hand · squash · mug · object · rock · board

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a committee
  3. file — a line of people
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mug — to rob
  7. object — to protest
  8. hand — help
  9. rock — a stone
  10. squash — the sport
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. file — a document
  13. object — a thing
  14. squash — to crush
  15. mug — a cup
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. object — an aim
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rock — music
  20. file — a tool
  21. hand — in cards
  22. mug — a face
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. board — a flat piece

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