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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 120 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — of water
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. last — final
  9. spring — a coil
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. last — finally
  12. ball — a dance
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pound — a weight
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. firm — a company
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. squash — the sport
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — decided
  23. last — to go on
  24. ball — a great time

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