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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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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 · bay · current · stem · snap · mouse · chest · club

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  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. chest — of your body
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. club — a group
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — a box
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. current — of water
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. squash — to crush
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. club — for dancing
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. stem — to come from
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. club — for golf
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — electric
  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