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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: lie · game · squash · band · stem · mouse · firm · clip

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. clip — for paper
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. game — a match
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. firm — decided
  10. clip — to cut
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a ring
  13. lie — to recline
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. game — wild animals
  16. firm — steady
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. squash — the sport
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. clip — a video
  21. stem — to come from
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. squash — to crush

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