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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. ball — a great time
  5. row — to paddle
  6. band — a ring
  7. bank — for money
  8. kid — child
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. ball — a dance
  12. pit — in a race
  13. row — a line
  14. kid — to tease
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. band — a music group
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bank — for money
  21. pit — a hole
  22. bank — of a river
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. squash — the sport

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