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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. object — to protest
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. object — an aim
  8. cold — not warm
  9. squash — to crush
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. cell — a phone
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. object — a thing
  15. perch — the fish
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. cold — an illness
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. squash — the sport
  23. toast — bread
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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