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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bear — the animal
  4. file — a document
  5. bear — the animal
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pop — to visit
  8. file — a tool
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. rush — hurry
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. cap — a lid
  14. file — a line of people
  15. squash — the sport
  16. cap — of ice
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — music
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to sink
  24. cap — a hat

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