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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. rash — a series
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. fork — in a road
  9. file — a tool
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bear — the animal
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. file — a line of people
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. rash — hasty
  20. squash — the sport
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. file — a document
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. racket — a loud noise

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