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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. rest — what's left
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. rest — a break
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. kid — child
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. mug — a face
  9. march — the month
  10. deal — to handle
  11. march — the month
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. march — music
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bear — the animal
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bear — the animal
  19. dip — to sink
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. mug — a cup
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mug — to rob

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