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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. fine — all right
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. object — to protest
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. fine — high quality
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. track — a path
  11. wound — an injury
  12. track — a song
  13. can — to be able to
  14. squash — the sport
  15. can — a tin
  16. object — an aim
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. track — to keep track
  19. wound — an injury
  20. can — a tin
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. object — a thing

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