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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  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 — the vegetable
  2. squash — to crush
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. prune — to trim
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. fall — to drop
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. fall — the season
  17. bound — tied together
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bound — obliged
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bound — certain
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  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