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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 120 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: squash · last · saw · court · snap · mouse · spell · rule

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. spell — a short time
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rule — a law
  5. court — of a king
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. spell — magic
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. last — finally
  10. squash — to crush
  11. snap — to click
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of law
  15. saw — the tool
  16. spell — letters
  17. last — to go on
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. last — final
  23. rule — government
  24. squash — the sport

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