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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. drill — a practice
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. drill — the tool
  7. ball — a great time
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. drill — army training
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ball — a dance
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. squash — the sport
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — of law
  22. prune — to trim
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stand — on your feet

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