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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 116 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — army training
  4. rash — hasty
  5. drill — the tool
  6. court — of law
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. squash — the sport
  13. fall — to drop
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. court — of a king
  16. fall — the season
  17. rash — a series
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. court — for sport
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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