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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. cap — of ice
  3. staff — a stick
  4. mine — for digging
  5. squash — the sport
  6. charge — in control
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. staff — employees
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. cap — a lid
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. prune — to trim
  15. plane — a tool
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. staff — employees
  19. charge — a price
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. charge — electricity
  22. cap — a hat
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. prune — to trim

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