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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.

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: drill · wound · squash · mouse · straw · mate · calf · spring

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — of water
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — to breed
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. squash — the sport
  9. wound — an injury
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. wound — an injury
  14. spring — the season
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — to crush
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — the tool
  24. mouse — the animal

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