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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. staff — a stick
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. squash — the sport
  7. object — an aim
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. staff — employees
  12. mark — a grade
  13. object — to protest
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. squash — to crush
  16. object — a thing
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bore — to tire
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a trace
  21. staff — employees
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — size or range
  24. straw — dry grass

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