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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. mug — a cup
  3. plane — a tool
  4. mug — a face
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. can — a tin
  8. cap — a hat
  9. pound — a weight
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bank — for money
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. can — to be able to
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. bank — for money
  18. mug — to rob
  19. cap — a lid
  20. snap — to click
  21. cap — of ice
  22. can — a tin
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bank — of a river

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