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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. hand — help
  7. squash — the sport
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. present — there
  11. present — the time now
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. squash — to crush
  16. cell — a phone
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. present — a gift
  20. cell — in biology
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. plane — a tool

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