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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. rest — a break
  11. squash — the sport
  12. root — the cause
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — to sink
  19. rest — what's left
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — of a word

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