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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. squash — the sport
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. wound — an injury
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. rush — hurry
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. squash — to crush
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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