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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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. squash — the sport
  3. toast — bread
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. craft — boats
  6. staff — employees
  7. spell — magic
  8. fall — the season
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. fall — to drop
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. staff — a stick
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. squash — to crush
  16. spell — letters
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. spell — a short time
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bark — to shout
  23. fall — to drop
  24. staff — employees

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