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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. mug — a face
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. wax — to grow
  5. ground — crushed
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. ground — a position
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. squash — the sport
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. press — newspapers
  16. mug — to rob
  17. squash — to crush
  18. press — a publisher
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. press — to push
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. mug — a cup
  24. trunk — of a tree

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