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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — music
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bank — for money
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. spell — magic
  9. file — a line of people
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bank — for money
  13. rest — a break
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. file — a tool
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. squash — the sport
  20. spell — letters
  21. file — a document
  22. squash — to crush
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bank — of a river

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