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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 116 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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. prune — to trim
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to bend
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. file — a tool
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. prune — to trim
  9. file — a document
  10. ground — a position
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. ground — the earth
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. sharp — clever
  19. file — a line of people
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the sport
  22. ground — crushed
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. stand — to bear

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