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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — to visit
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. squash — the sport
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. squash — to crush
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. snap — to click
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. tube — a container
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — for pool
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. pop — music

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