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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. kid — child
  4. can — a tin
  5. rash — hasty
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. season — of the year
  8. file — a line of people
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. rash — a series
  12. squash — the sport
  13. prune — to trim
  14. can — a tin
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. kid — to tease
  17. squash — to crush
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. season — in sport
  22. prune — to trim
  23. file — a tool
  24. can — to be able to

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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