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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. file — a line of people
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. firm — decided
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. firm — steady
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. squash — the sport
  14. file — a tool
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. file — a document
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. sharp — clever
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. firm — a company
  22. squash — to crush
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. sharp — exactly

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