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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bound — tied together
  3. clip — to cut
  4. pop — to visit
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bound — obliged
  7. pop — soda
  8. bound — certain
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. clip — a video
  14. bank — of a river
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. squash — to crush
  17. bank — for money
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pop — music
  20. bank — for money
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. clip — for paper
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rush — hurry

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