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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. lean — thin
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. sharp — clever
  6. lean — to bend
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. squash — the sport
  10. pitch — completely
  11. hand — help
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. squash — to crush
  15. toast — bread
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. mine — for digging

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