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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bear — the animal
  3. squash — to crush
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. squash — the sport
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. dip — to sink
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spring — the season
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bore — to drill
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. spring — of water
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bear — the animal
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mouse — the animal

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