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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. club — for dancing
  4. rash — a series
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. club — a group
  7. ground — crushed
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — to drill
  12. rule — government
  13. rash — hasty
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. squash — the sport
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. ground — a position
  18. club — for golf
  19. ground — the earth
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. squash — to crush
  24. rule — a law

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