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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. tube — the underground
  4. ball — a great time
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — in cards
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. suit — clothes
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. tube — a container
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. squash — the sport
  17. deal — to handle
  18. wind — moving air
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. ball — a dance
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mine — for digging

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