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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. drill — army training
  3. spring — the season
  4. squash — to crush
  5. tear — to rip
  6. drill — the tool
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. spring — a coil
  9. current — of water
  10. spring — of water
  11. ball — a dance
  12. tear — from crying
  13. current — happening now
  14. drill — a practice
  15. squash — the sport
  16. ball — a great time
  17. tear — from crying
  18. current — electric

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