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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. can — to be able to
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. spell — a short time
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bear — the animal
  9. can — a tin
  10. spell — magic
  11. squash — the sport
  12. chest — of your body
  13. spell — letters
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bear — the animal
  24. can — a tin

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