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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. file — a line of people
  4. toast — bread
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. cap — a hat
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. file — a document
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. cap — a lid
  14. file — a tool
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. squash — the sport
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. ruler — a monarch

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