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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bear — the animal
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. craft — boats
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. tube — a container
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. face — to confront
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. face — part of the head
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. chip — to eat
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bear — the animal
  18. squash — the sport
  19. craft — a skill
  20. ball — a great time
  21. chip — for betting
  22. ball — a dance
  23. tube — the underground
  24. craft — a handicraft

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