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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. squash — to crush
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. chest — of your body
  5. foot — a measure
  6. spring — of water
  7. chest — a box
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. spring — a coil
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. squash — the sport
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. spring — the season

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