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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. present — there
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. object — to protest
  7. can — a tin
  8. lean — thin
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. can — a tin
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. present — a gift
  14. object — an aim
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. lean — to bend
  18. object — a thing
  19. present — the time now
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. squash — the sport
  24. cabinet — ministers

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