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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 120 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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. scale — size or range
  4. squash — the sport
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. rash — hasty
  8. squash — to crush
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. lean — to bend
  17. foot — a measure
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. rash — a series
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — in music
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. lean — thin

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