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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. roll — a list
  6. prune — to trim
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. prune — to trim
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. sharp — clever
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. roll — a cake
  16. wake — a trail
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. squash — the sport
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. squash — to crush

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