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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. squash — to crush
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. toast — bread
  5. spell — magic
  6. squash — the sport
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. roll — a list
  16. bark — to shout
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. spell — letters
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. spell — a short time
  22. roll — a cake
  23. bass — low music
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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