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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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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. perch — the fish
  3. mug — a cup
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. squash — the sport
  6. present — a gift
  7. mug — to rob
  8. present — there
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. present — the time now
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. mug — a face
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — in music
  17. row — to paddle
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. key — the most important part
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. row — a line

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