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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. present — a gift
  3. rest — what's left
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rest — what's left
  7. charge — in control
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. squash — the sport
  12. rest — a break
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. present — there
  16. present — the time now
  17. game — a match
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. charge — a price
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. charge — electricity
  24. nail — for a hammer

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