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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. row — a line
  3. present — the time now
  4. suit — to fit
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. present — a gift
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — in cards
  9. deal — to handle
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. present — there
  13. row — to paddle
  14. squash — the sport
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. track — a path
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a song
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. squash — the vegetable

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