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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. mark — a trace
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of law
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a grade
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. squash — the sport
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. dip — to sink
  17. court — of a king
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. squash — to crush
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. cabinet — ministers

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