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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 sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. wake — a trail
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bark — to shout
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. squash — the sport
  18. pit — in a race
  19. can — to be able to
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. can — a tin
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. can — a tin

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