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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. rash — a series
  4. mark — a trace
  5. craft — a skill
  6. squash — the sport
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — to grow
  10. dip — to sink
  11. mug — to rob
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. craft — boats
  14. pop — to visit
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — a face
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. squash — to crush
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — soda
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. rash — hasty
  24. mark — a grade

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