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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. mark — a trace
  5. firm — a company
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bore — to drill
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. squash — the sport
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bore — to tire
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — steady
  21. season — of the year
  22. season — in sport
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — an explosive

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