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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. firm — steady
  6. squash — to crush
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bass — low music
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — to confront
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bat — the animal
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. date — the fruit
  20. firm — decided
  21. bass — the fish
  22. squash — the sport
  23. firm — a company
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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