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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bound — obliged
  3. row — a line
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wound — an injury
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. can — a tin
  8. row — to paddle
  9. can — a tin
  10. bound — certain
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. staff — employees
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. can — to be able to
  18. wound — an injury
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — a stick
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bound — tied together
  24. wind — moving air

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