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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stock — shares
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pound — a weight
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stock — goods
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. squash — to crush
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. hide — to keep secret

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