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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. kid — child
  3. squash — to crush
  4. firm — steady
  5. can — a tin
  6. kid — to tease
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. rash — hasty
  11. firm — a company
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. can — a tin
  14. march — music
  15. bulb — for light
  16. firm — decided
  17. bulb — for light
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. march — the month
  21. can — to be able to
  22. march — the month
  23. squash — the sport
  24. rash — on the skin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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