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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. firm — steady
  3. squash — to crush
  4. firm — decided
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. prune — to trim
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bass — low music
  13. tear — from crying
  14. squash — the sport
  15. tear — to rip
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. tear — from crying
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. wind — moving air
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. prune — to trim
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. firm — a company

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