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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
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 · cell · kid · squash · can · pop · rush · mate

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kid — child
  4. can — a tin
  5. mate — a friend
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. rush — hurry
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. can — to be able to
  14. cell — a phone
  15. squash — the sport
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mate — a partner
  18. pop — music
  19. can — a tin
  20. kid — to tease
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pop — soda
  23. cell — in biology
  24. pop — to visit

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