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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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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. squash — the sport
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. last — to go on
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. season — in sport
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — a face
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. snap — to click
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. squash — to crush
  17. mug — to rob
  18. last — finally
  19. season — of the year
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. squash — the vegetable

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