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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. squash — to crush
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. chest — of your body
  5. foot — a measure
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. chest — of your body
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. chest — a box
  15. swing — music
  16. squash — the sport
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bark — to shout
  19. tube — a container
  20. swing — in golf
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. swing — to play on
  23. toast — bread
  24. patient — a sick person

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