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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. deal — to handle
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. clip — a video
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. rash — hasty
  11. squash — the sport
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. ground — the earth
  14. squash — to crush
  15. pass — a permit
  16. ground — crushed
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. clip — to cut
  22. rash — a series
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. clip — for paper

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