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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. squash — to crush
  6. face — to point toward
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. face — part of the head
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bore — to tire
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — the fruit
  18. face — to confront
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. squash — the sport
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bore — to drill
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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