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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. spell — a short time
  3. plane — a tool
  4. chest — of your body
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. spell — magic
  7. chest — a box
  8. squash — the sport
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bark — to shout
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. firm — a company
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. firm — steady
  20. spell — letters
  21. firm — decided
  22. squash — to crush
  23. chest — of your body
  24. safe — out of danger

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