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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: foot · game · wave · bore · mouse · squash · stick · lean

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. game — a match
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. foot — a measure
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bore — to drill
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. game — wild animals
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bore — to tire
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the sport
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. mouse — for a computer

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