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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. squash — to crush
  3. object — an aim
  4. row — a line
  5. staff — employees
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. squash — the sport
  8. pit — in a race
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. wax — to grow
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. staff — employees
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — to protest
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pit — a hole
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. row — to paddle
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. ruler — for measuring

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