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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 120 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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. squash — the sport
  5. rash — hasty
  6. prune — to trim
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. rash — a series
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. mate — to breed
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. ball — a dance
  14. prune — to trim
  15. ball — a great time
  16. deal — to handle
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. mate — a partner
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. mate — a friend

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