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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. drill — a practice
  6. prune — to trim
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. drill — army training
  9. wind — moving air
  10. prune — to trim
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. firm — decided
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. firm — steady
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. firm — a company
  19. sharp — clever
  20. drill — the tool
  21. squash — the sport
  22. plane — a tool
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. squash — to crush

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