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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. squash — to crush
  4. pit — a hole
  5. spell — letters
  6. rash — hasty
  7. stem — to come from
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — a series
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bulb — for light
  13. kid — child
  14. spell — magic
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. pit — in a race
  19. kid — to tease
  20. squash — the sport
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for golf
  24. bulb — of a plant

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