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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. rule — a law
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. degree — an amount
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. degree — temperature
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. wind — moving air
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. degree — from a university
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bowl — to roll

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