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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. squash — to crush
  3. snap — to click
  4. firm — decided
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bat — the animal
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. mate — a friend
  11. squash — the sport
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. mate — to breed
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. mate — a partner
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — steady
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pit — in a race

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