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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: straw · mug · scale · squash · shower · object · file · bowl

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. shower — to wash
  4. scale — size or range
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. object — an aim
  7. file — a line of people
  8. mug — to rob
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. object — to protest
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. object — a thing
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — in music
  17. mug — a face
  18. squash — the sport
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. squash — to crush
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a document
  24. shower — rain

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