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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 124 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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468
Word bank
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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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the sport
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. kid — to tease
  6. suit — in cards
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cell — a phone
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. cell — in biology
  15. kid — child
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. mate — a friend
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. mate — a partner
  20. suit — to fit
  21. suit — clothes
  22. mate — to breed
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  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