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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bound — obliged
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bound — tied together
  7. band — a music group
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bound — certain
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. lean — thin
  13. squash — to crush
  14. kid — child
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — a signal
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. band — a ring
  20. squash — the sport
  21. lean — to bend
  22. dip — to sink
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. kid — to tease

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