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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. land — ground
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. land — a country
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — letters
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bore — to tire
  14. wax — to grow
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. fork — in a road
  17. land — to come down
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. spell — a short time
  22. squash — the sport
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bore — to drill

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