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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  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. band — a ring
  2. ground — a position
  3. suit — in cards
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. suit — clothes
  10. prune — to trim
  11. squash — the sport
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. suit — to fit
  15. ground — the earth
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. band — a music group
  21. ground — crushed
  22. prune — to trim
  23. sharp — clever
  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