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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. firm — steady
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. content — the amount
  5. rush — hurry
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. squash — the sport
  8. mug — a cup
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. mug — to rob
  15. firm — a company
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. firm — decided
  20. content — happy
  21. cold — not warm
  22. wax — to grow
  23. cold — an illness
  24. mug — a face

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