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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. ball — a dance
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. saw — the tool
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — soda
  12. saw — the tool
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. board — a committee
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. ball — a great time
  18. board — to get on
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. squash — the sport
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. pop — to visit
  24. squash — to crush

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