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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. squash — to crush
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. rule — government
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. squash — the sport
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. face — to confront
  9. rule — a law
  10. face — part of the head
  11. pop — soda
  12. rock — music
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pop — music
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. face — to point toward
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pop — to visit

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