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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — a practice
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. squash — to crush
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bulb — for light
  11. drill — the tool
  12. object — an aim
  13. squash — the sport
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — a thing
  18. chest — a box
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bulb — of a plant

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