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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. face — to confront
  5. saw — the tool
  6. squash — to crush
  7. cell — a phone
  8. saw — the tool
  9. face — to point toward
  10. rash — a series
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. face — part of the head
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — high quality
  15. rash — hasty
  16. squash — the sport
  17. stand — to bear
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. cell — in biology
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. ruler — a monarch

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