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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
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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 · arm · drill · wake · stick · mine · chair · scale

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. drill — the tool
  5. scale — in music
  6. drill — army training
  7. squash — to crush
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mine — for digging
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. squash — the sport
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. chair — a leader
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. scale — size or range
  19. wake — a trail
  20. drill — a practice
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. arm — a part of something

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