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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. spell — letters
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. craft — a skill
  8. can — a tin
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. row — to paddle
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. row — a line
  14. craft — boats
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — a short time
  17. sharp — clever
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. squash — the sport
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. prune — the fruit

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