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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 116 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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. ground — crushed
  5. swing — music
  6. shower — to wash
  7. tear — from crying
  8. suit — in cards
  9. tear — from crying
  10. ground — a position
  11. suit — clothes
  12. ground — the earth
  13. shower — rain
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bank — of a river
  16. tear — to rip
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bank — for money
  19. squash — the sport
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. suit — to fit
  22. bank — for money
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. swing — to play on

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