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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. staff — employees
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pop — music
  6. squash — to crush
  7. present — the time now
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — soda
  10. present — a gift
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — the sport
  14. present — there
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. snap — to click
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. tear — from crying
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. tear — to rip
  24. racket — for tennis

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