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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. object — to protest
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. rest — a break
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. scale — in music
  7. squash — the sport
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. object — a thing
  10. scale — size or range
  11. rest — what's left
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. shower — to wash
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. object — an aim
  20. sharp — clever
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. foot — a measure
  23. shower — rain
  24. rest — what's left

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