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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. squash — to crush
  4. swing — to play on
  5. squash — the sport
  6. deal — to handle
  7. chip — for betting
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — a practice
  11. rest — a break
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. rest — what's left
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — to eat
  16. rest — what's left
  17. swing — music
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. swing — in golf
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. wake — a trail
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. drill — army training

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