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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. root — of a word
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. branch — a division
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — to visit
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. snap — to click
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. root — the cause
  16. pop — soda
  17. ball — a great time
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. squash — the sport
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. ball — a dance
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. root — of a plant
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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