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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. face — to point toward
  4. rash — hasty
  5. firm — a company
  6. prune — to trim
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. firm — steady
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rash — a series
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. face — to confront
  16. face — part of the head
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — a stone
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. deal — to handle
  22. firm — decided
  23. squash — to crush
  24. prune — to trim

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