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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  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. squash — the vegetable
  2. cell — a phone
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bulb — for light
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. spell — a short time
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. squash — the sport
  16. spell — letters
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. spell — magic
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bulb — for light
  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