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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: leaves · fine · mouse · rest · bark · spring · squash · mine

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. spring — of water
  3. squash — to crush
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. squash — the sport
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. fine — all right
  12. spring — a coil
  13. rest — a break
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. fine — high quality
  16. rest — what's left
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. spring — the season
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — belonging to me
  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