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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. track — to keep track
  4. band — a ring
  5. squash — to crush
  6. mug — a cup
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. fall — to drop
  9. foot — a measure
  10. track — a song
  11. kick — in football
  12. fall — the season
  13. bulb — for light
  14. band — a music group
  15. squash — the sport
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. mug — to rob
  18. mug — a face
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. fall — to drop
  21. track — a path
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. foot — the bottom

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