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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. prune — to trim
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. object — a thing
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. tube — the underground
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. tear — from crying
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. squash — to crush
  15. tear — from crying
  16. object — to protest
  17. tube — a container
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. tear — to rip
  20. prune — to trim
  21. object — an aim
  22. toast — bread
  23. squash — the sport
  24. nail — on a finger

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