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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. wound — an injury
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. craft — a skill
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. shower — rain
  10. ground — a position
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. squash — the sport
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wound — an injury
  16. ground — the earth
  17. craft — boats
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ground — crushed
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. shower — to wash
  24. arm — part of the body

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