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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. saw — the tool
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bound — certain
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. squash — the sport
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — obliged
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. saw — the tool
  24. fan — a supporter

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