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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.

Make a worksheet

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: firm · wound · kid · last · mug · mark · squash · mine

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. mug — a face
  3. last — finally
  4. wound — an injury
  5. last — final
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — steady
  8. last — to go on
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mug — to rob
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. wound — an injury
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. firm — decided
  17. squash — to crush
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mark — a grade
  20. kid — child
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. kid — to tease
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. mark — a trace

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