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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bear — the animal
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. sharp — clever
  8. fine — all right
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bear — the animal
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. snap — to click
  13. fine — high quality
  14. squash — the sport
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. net — after costs
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. net — for catching
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. pass — a permit
  23. net — in sport
  24. pass — to spend time

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