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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. squash — the sport
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. spell — magic
  8. land — to come down
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. land — ground
  12. spell — a short time
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. fine — all right
  15. land — a country
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. wake — a trail
  19. spell — letters
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. tube — the underground
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. tube — a container

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