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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. object — a thing
  3. can — a tin
  4. drill — army training
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. object — to protest
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — the tool
  11. squash — the sport
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. can — to be able to
  16. object — an aim
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. can — a tin
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. hide — to keep secret

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