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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: leaves · squash · mine · lean · object · wind · mouse · chip

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. wind — moving air
  5. object — an aim
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — for digging
  9. lean — thin
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. chip — to eat
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. squash — the sport
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. wind — moving air
  21. lean — to bend
  22. chip — for betting
  23. squash — to crush
  24. object — a thing

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