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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  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. bat — in an idiom
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bat — the animal
  4. squash — to crush
  5. prune — to trim
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a cup
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. mug — a face
  10. chip — to eat
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. squash — the sport
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bear — the animal
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. snap — to click
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. bear — the animal
  23. prune — to trim
  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