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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. march — the month
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. staff — a stick
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. march — the month
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. march — music
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. stand — to bear
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bowl — a dish

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