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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. object — a thing
  3. object — an aim
  4. rock — music
  5. dip — to sink
  6. scale — size or range
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. object — to protest
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rule — a law
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. prune — to trim
  17. row — a line
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — government
  21. row — to paddle
  22. rock — a stone
  23. scale — in music
  24. rock — to move gently

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