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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: content · wave · fan · bark · squash · leaves · game · mouse

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. squash — the sport
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. game — wild animals
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. content — happy
  12. content — the amount
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bark — to shout
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. game — a match
  23. squash — to crush
  24. game — a kind of play

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