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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — letters
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. chip — for betting
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. chip — to eat
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. squash — the sport
  12. spell — magic
  13. net — in sport
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. net — after costs
  17. bark — to shout
  18. rest — what's left
  19. squash — to crush
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. rest — a break
  24. net — for catching

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