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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: mouse · fall · club · squash · calf · lie · pit · cabinet

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. squash — the sport
  3. lie — to recline
  4. fall — the season
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pit — a hole
  13. club — a group
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. squash — to crush
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — for dancing
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. fall — to drop
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. pit — in a race

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