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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. squash — to crush
  4. suit — clothes
  5. squash — the sport
  6. file — a document
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. can — a tin
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. pop — music
  12. can — a tin
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. suit — in cards
  16. file — a line of people
  17. suit — to fit
  18. file — a tool
  19. pop — soda
  20. wound — an injury
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. can — to be able to
  23. wound — an injury
  24. straw — dry grass

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