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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 120 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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bore — to tire
  7. net — in sport
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — after costs
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bore — to drill
  14. club — for golf
  15. mark — a grade
  16. club — a group
  17. squash — the sport
  18. club — for dancing
  19. dip — to sink
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. wave — of the sea

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