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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 120 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. can — a tin
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. drill — a practice
  7. can — a tin
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. drill — army training
  10. game — a match
  11. scale — size or range
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. can — to be able to
  15. scale — in music
  16. face — part of the head
  17. game — wild animals
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. face — to confront
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. face — to point toward
  24. drill — the tool

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