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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. suit — in cards
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. suit — clothes
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. last — to go on
  8. wound — an injury
  9. last — final
  10. rock — music
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. suit — to fit
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — army training
  16. last — finally
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. wound — an injury
  23. drill — a practice
  24. squash — the sport

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