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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. spell — letters
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. squash — the sport
  6. mug — a cup
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. chair — a leader
  9. mug — a face
  10. dip — to sink
  11. snap — to click
  12. squash — to crush
  13. bank — for money
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — a short time
  24. mug — to rob

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