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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. date — the fruit
  12. press — newspapers
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. press — a publisher
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. squash — the sport
  17. mine — for digging
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. press — to push
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. squash — to crush

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