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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: firm · mouse · file · trunk · wound · ball · squash · staff

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. staff — a stick
  4. staff — employees
  5. squash — the sport
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. firm — decided
  11. file — a tool
  12. ball — a great time
  13. firm — a company
  14. file — a line of people
  15. wound — an injury
  16. staff — employees
  17. ball — a dance
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. file — a document
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. firm — steady
  24. ball — a round shape

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