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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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Word bank
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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. spell — letters
  3. present — the time now
  4. lie — to recline
  5. spell — a short time
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. present — there
  8. prune — to trim
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fine — all right
  13. chair — a leader
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — to crush
  16. spell — magic
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. fine — high quality
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. present — a gift
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. chair — a professorship

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