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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. cold — an illness
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — a face
  6. march — the month
  7. squash — to crush
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. track — a song
  14. march — the month
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. march — music
  18. track — a path
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. cold — not warm
  21. chair — a leader
  22. mug — to rob
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chair — a professorship

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