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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 124 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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. track — a path
  6. tear — from crying
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bass — low music
  12. tear — to rip
  13. ball — a great time
  14. tear — from crying
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. roll — a cake
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bass — the fish
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. ball — a dance
  21. roll — a list
  22. track — a song
  23. lean — to bend
  24. chair — a leader

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