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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bound — obliged
  7. season — of the year
  8. fall — the season
  9. club — a group
  10. bound — tied together
  11. fall — to drop
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — to bear
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bound — certain
  20. club — for golf
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. club — for dancing
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — to add flavour

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