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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. squash — the sport
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bass — the fish
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bass — low music
  10. fine — high quality
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. fine — all right
  14. snap — to click
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. lean — thin
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. squash — to crush
  23. dip — to sink
  24. lean — to rest against

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