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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bear — the animal
  3. race — humankind
  4. squash — the sport
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. race — a contest
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. charge — a price
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. race — the arms race
  14. dip — to sink
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. charge — in control
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. charge — electricity
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. snap — to click
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bear — the animal
  24. dip — a sauce

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