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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. roll — a list
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. prune — to trim
  5. squash — the sport
  6. pop — to visit
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pop — music
  10. kick — in football
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. roll — a cake
  13. hand — help
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. suit — clothes
  16. hand — in cards
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — to fit
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pop — soda
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. squash — the vegetable

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