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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the sport
  3. rock — music
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a tool
  6. stock — shares
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. present — the time now
  10. lean — thin
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — a stone
  14. file — a document
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. lean — to bend
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. rush — hurry
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. present — there
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. stock — goods
  23. present — a gift
  24. dip — to sink

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