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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. last — finally
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bore — to drill
  6. race — humankind
  7. last — final
  8. spell — magic
  9. bore — to tire
  10. stand — to bear
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — letters
  13. mark — a grade
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. race — the arms race
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. last — to go on
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. race — a contest
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. squash — the sport
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bore — gave birth

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