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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. band — a music group
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hand — in cards
  5. swing — music
  6. squash — to crush
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. band — a ring
  12. swing — to play on
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. row — to paddle
  16. hand — help
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. swing — in golf
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. squash — the sport
  24. row — a line

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