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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. mark — a grade
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — a position
  7. season — of the year
  8. mine — for digging
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. ground — crushed
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mark — a trace
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. squash — the sport
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. season — in sport

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