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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. chest — of your body
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. rock — music
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — to crush
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. chest — of your body
  9. band — a ring
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. firm — steady
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. firm — decided
  16. band — a music group
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. deal — to handle
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. firm — a company
  23. rock — a stone
  24. chest — a box

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