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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. ball — a dance
  3. club — a group
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. squash — the sport
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. squash — to crush
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. dip — to sink
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. present — there
  16. club — for golf
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. present — a gift
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. club — for dancing
  22. present — the time now
  23. rash — a series
  24. squash — the vegetable

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