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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 124 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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bound — obliged
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. spell — a short time
  5. row — to paddle
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. file — a line of people
  8. swing — music
  9. squash — the sport
  10. row — a line
  11. file — a document
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. swing — in golf
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. tube — a container
  16. bound — tied together
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. spell — magic
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bound — certain
  21. rush — hurry
  22. spell — letters
  23. file — a tool
  24. swing — to play on

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