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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. squash — the sport
  7. dip — to sink
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — to protest
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. clip — to cut
  12. rock — a stone
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — a video
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. object — an aim
  18. rock — music
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. perch — the fish
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — clever
  24. squash — the vegetable

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