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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rash — hasty
  5. firm — a company
  6. season — in sport
  7. bass — low music
  8. object — an aim
  9. firm — steady
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. squash — to crush
  13. can — a tin
  14. fall — to drop
  15. season — of the year
  16. bass — the fish
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — a thing
  19. firm — decided
  20. fall — the season
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — the sport
  23. can — a tin
  24. bass — the instrument

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