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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 · arm · snap · roll · face · squash · capital · season

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. roll — a list
  3. squash — the sport
  4. face — to point toward
  5. season — in sport
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. face — to confront
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. face — part of the head
  14. season — of the year
  15. squash — to crush
  16. capital — money
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. capital — a city
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. roll — a cake
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. mouse — the animal

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