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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.

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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. rest — a break
  3. squash — to crush
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. rest — what's left
  10. content — happy
  11. file — a line of people
  12. rest — what's left
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. squash — the sport
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a document
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. content — the amount
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — in sport

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