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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 124 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. The water is too ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. cold — not warm
  3. bore — to drill
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. suit — clothes
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. squash — to crush
  9. suit — to fit
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bore — to tire
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. suit — in cards
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stand — to bear
  21. cold — an illness
  22. saw — the tool
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. squash — the sport

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