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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — to crush
  4. spring — of water
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. firm — decided
  7. can — a tin
  8. firm — steady
  9. mark — a trace
  10. spring — the season
  11. mark — a grade
  12. last — final
  13. pop — music
  14. firm — a company
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. can — to be able to
  17. lean — to bend
  18. pop — to visit
  19. spring — a coil
  20. can — a tin
  21. lean — thin
  22. last — to go on
  23. last — finally
  24. pop — soda

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