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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bat — the animal
  5. mark — a grade
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. wind — moving air
  9. deal — to handle
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. mug — a face
  12. band — a music group
  13. wind — moving air
  14. squash — the sport
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. band — a ring

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