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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. cell — a phone
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. cell — in biology
  8. chest — of your body
  9. suit — in cards
  10. chest — of your body
  11. fork — in a road
  12. squash — to crush
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — to fit
  16. row — to paddle
  17. object — to protest
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. squash — the sport
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. row — a line
  22. chest — a box
  23. object — an aim
  24. object — a thing

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