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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. foot — a measure
  3. rock — music
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. deal — to handle
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. squash — the sport
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. squash — to crush
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. kid — child
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. charge — electricity
  15. kid — to tease
  16. rock — a stone
  17. charge — in control
  18. bulb — for light
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. charge — a price
  24. deal — a big deal

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