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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. mark — a trace
  4. can — a tin
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. saw — the tool
  11. squash — the sport
  12. can — a tin
  13. mark — a grade
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. cell — a phone
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. can — to be able to
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. cell — in biology
  21. wake — a trail
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. squash — to crush
  24. cell — in a prison

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