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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. deal — to handle
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. club — a group
  16. squash — to crush
  17. snap — to click
  18. club — for dancing
  19. fork — in a road
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. pass — a permit
  22. club — for golf
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. fork — a garden tool

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