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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 116 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. spring — a coil
  3. current — of water
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. spring — of water
  6. squash — to crush
  7. current — electric
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. prune — to trim
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. prune — to trim
  13. rest — a break
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. squash — the sport
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. kick — in football
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. rest — what's left
  21. current — happening now
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. spring — the season
  24. prune — the fruit

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