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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. prune — to trim
  3. suit — clothes
  4. band — a music group
  5. prune — to trim
  6. mug — a face
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. squash — to crush
  9. mug — a cup
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. snap — to click
  12. mug — to rob
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — in cards
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. band — a ring
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. squash — the sport
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. band — a rubber band

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