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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. face — to point toward
  3. suit — to fit
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. face — part of the head
  7. squash — the sport
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. suit — clothes
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. saw — the tool
  15. suit — in cards
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. face — to confront

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