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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 120 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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. mate — a partner
  3. swing — in golf
  4. squash — to crush
  5. shower — to wash
  6. shower — rain
  7. bear — the animal
  8. last — finally
  9. mate — a friend
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. pitch — completely
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. last — to go on
  16. swing — music
  17. mate — to breed
  18. last — final
  19. squash — the sport
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bear — the animal
  22. swing — to play on
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bear — to put up with

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