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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 120 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. fall — to drop
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. squash — the sport
  10. deal — to handle
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. cap — of ice
  14. scale — in music
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. cap — a hat
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. scale — size or range
  19. cap — a lid
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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