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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. fork — in a road
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. squash — to crush
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. mug — a face
  9. race — a contest
  10. dip — to sink
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. squash — the sport
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. race — the arms race
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. mug — a cup
  19. race — humankind
  20. rest — what's left
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. mug — to rob
  24. rest — a break

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