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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. file — a line of people
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. drill — a practice
  6. file — a tool
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bear — the animal
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. file — a document
  15. drill — army training
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. drill — the tool
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. squash — the sport
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bear — the animal
  24. lean — thin

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