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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. season — in sport
  3. firm — decided
  4. land — to come down
  5. squash — the sport
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. land — ground
  9. season — of the year
  10. mate — a partner
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. mate — a friend
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. mate — to breed
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. firm — steady
  19. prune — to trim
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. firm — a company
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. land — a country
  24. prune — to trim

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