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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. tube — the underground
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — to bend
  9. squash — the sport
  10. dip — to sink
  11. deal — to handle
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. saw — the tool
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. lean — thin
  18. saw — the tool
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. tube — a container
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. tube — in a tire

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