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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. present — a gift
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. rule — government
  5. ground — a position
  6. suit — to fit
  7. present — the time now
  8. ground — the earth
  9. present — there
  10. cap — of ice
  11. rule — a law
  12. cold — not warm
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. suit — in cards
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to click
  17. suit — clothes
  18. cap — a lid
  19. ground — crushed
  20. cold — an illness
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. squash — to crush
  23. cap — a hat
  24. squash — the sport

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