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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. squash — to crush
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. mate — to breed
  5. rash — hasty
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bear — the animal
  11. foot — a measure
  12. plane — a tool
  13. rash — a series
  14. rule — a law
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mate — a partner
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. mate — a friend
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. prune — to trim
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. rule — government

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