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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. wound — an injury
  6. spell — letters
  7. craft — boats
  8. spell — a short time
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bass — low music
  11. mug — a cup
  12. game — wild animals
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. spell — magic
  15. bass — the fish
  16. squash — the sport
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. mug — a face
  21. game — a match
  22. rest — a break
  23. wound — an injury
  24. craft — a skill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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