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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bank — for money
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bank — of a river
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — ground
  10. spring — the season
  11. land — a country
  12. can — to be able to
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bank — for money
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. spring — of water
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. squash — the sport
  20. pit — a hole
  21. spring — a coil
  22. can — a tin
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. can — a tin

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