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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: squash · clip · mouse · bulb · chest · straw · deal · suit

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. suit — to fit
  4. chest — a box
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. suit — in cards
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. chest — of your body
  9. clip — to cut
  10. squash — the sport
  11. suit — clothes
  12. deal — to handle
  13. chest — of your body
  14. clip — for paper
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. clip — a video
  19. squash — to crush
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. squash — the vegetable

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