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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. suit — clothes
  3. content — happy
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. suit — in cards
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. race — the arms race
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. content — the amount
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. suit — to fit
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stand — to bear
  17. race — humankind
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. race — a contest
  22. squash — the sport
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pitcher — a jug

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