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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. roll — a list
  4. dip — to sink
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bear — the animal
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. squash — the sport
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bear — the animal
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. squash — to crush
  15. fork — in a road
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. roll — a cake
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. wax — to grow
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. fork — to eat with

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