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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bore — to tire
  12. squash — the sport
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bound — obliged
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — hurry
  18. wake — a trail
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bound — tied together
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bound — certain

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