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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cap — of ice
  6. lean — thin
  7. cap — a hat
  8. charge — electricity
  9. squash — the sport
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. cap — a lid
  13. charge — in control
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — music
  16. squash — to crush
  17. lean — to bend
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. charge — a price
  21. plane — a tool
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. straw — a straw man

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