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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. last — final
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mine — for digging
  6. pit — a hole
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. last — to go on
  11. toast — bread
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. last — finally
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — there
  16. present — the time now
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. fall — the season
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. pit — in a race
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. squash — the sport
  24. fall — to drop

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