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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. firm — steady
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. firm — decided
  10. bear — the animal
  11. prune — to trim
  12. scale — in music
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bear — the animal
  15. firm — a company
  16. squash — the sport
  17. scale — size or range
  18. prune — to trim

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