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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. can — a tin
  3. rest — what's left
  4. last — final
  5. squash — the sport
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. last — finally
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. scale — in music
  14. rest — a break
  15. pit — in a race
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pit — a hole
  21. last — to go on
  22. can — to be able to
  23. scale — size or range
  24. can — a tin

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