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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. squash — to crush
  5. kick — in football
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. craft — a skill
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. craft — boats
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to bend
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. cell — a phone
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. squash — the sport
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cell — in biology
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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