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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 116 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. mug — a face
  5. tube — a container
  6. file — a line of people
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mug — a cup
  9. squash — the sport
  10. file — a document
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. file — a tool
  15. branch — a division
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — the underground
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. cabinet — ministers

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