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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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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. rash — a series
  3. ball — a dance
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. ball — a great time
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. toast — bread
  10. rash — hasty
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. squash — the sport
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. arm — part of the body

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