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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. race — the arms race
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. race — humankind
  7. wound — an injury
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. ball — a dance
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. rush — hurry
  14. squash — the sport
  15. ball — a great time
  16. plane — a tool
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. season — in sport
  19. squash — to crush
  20. wound — an injury
  21. race — a contest
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — a sick person

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