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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 116 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: mouse · can · fall · squash · club · face · wind · cabinet

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. can — a tin
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. fall — to drop
  5. squash — the sport
  6. club — a group
  7. face — to point toward
  8. can — to be able to
  9. wind — moving air
  10. club — for dancing
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wind — moving air
  13. club — for golf
  14. fall — the season
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. squash — to crush
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. fall — to drop
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to confront
  24. can — a tin

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