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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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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: jam · squash · fan · pitcher · lie · rest · mine · mouse

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. lie — to recline
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. squash — to crush
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. rest — a break
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mine — for digging

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