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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 120 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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. snap — to click
  3. lean — to bend
  4. hand — in cards
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. squash — the sport
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. lean — thin
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. hand — help
  23. shower — rain
  24. arm — part of the body

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