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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bark — to shout
  5. clip — a video
  6. can — a tin
  7. clip — to cut
  8. suit — clothes
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. rush — hurry
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. clip — for paper
  16. squash — the sport
  17. suit — in cards
  18. can — to be able to
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. shower — to wash
  21. suit — to fit
  22. shower — rain
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. can — a tin

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