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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wound — an injury
  9. capital — a city
  10. squash — the sport
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. capital — money
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. capital — a big letter

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