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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — to crush
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. row — a line
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. chest — a box
  10. current — electric
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. current — happening now
  16. tube — the underground
  17. current — of water
  18. row — to paddle
  19. chest — of your body
  20. wound — an injury
  21. chest — of your body
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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