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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. saw — the tool
  5. squash — to crush
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. saw — the tool
  9. ground — crushed
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. snap — to click
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. can — a tin
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. squash — the sport
  16. ground — a position
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. ground — the earth

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