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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. squash — the sport
  5. game — wild animals
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a lid
  10. club — for golf
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. game — a match
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. cap — a hat
  17. club — a group
  18. bore — to drill
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bore — to tire
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. club — for dancing

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