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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. current — of water
  6. current — electric
  7. bass — low music
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. net — for catching
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. current — happening now
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — after costs
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. wave — of the sea

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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