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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. race — the arms race
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. rash — hasty
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. rash — a series
  10. lean — to bend
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. race — a contest
  14. content — the amount
  15. race — humankind
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. lean — thin
  19. content — happy
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the sport
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. plane — a tool

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