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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. wound — an injury
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. prune — to trim
  6. dip — to sink
  7. last — final
  8. last — to go on
  9. prune — to trim
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. lean — to bend
  14. board — a committee
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. board — to get on
  17. squash — the sport
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. wound — an injury
  20. lean — thin
  21. squash — to crush
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. wake — a trail

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