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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: mine · toast · suit · squash · bat · cap · file · mouse

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. file — a tool
  3. squash — to crush
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. cap — a lid
  8. squash — the sport
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. cap — a hat
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cap — of ice
  17. file — a line of people
  18. toast — bread
  19. suit — in cards
  20. file — a document
  21. bat — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. suit — to fit

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