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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 124 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bore · toast · wake · rest · pit · saw · mine · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. squash — to crush
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. pit — a hole
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. toast — bread
  10. bore — to drill
  11. pit — in a race
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bore — to tire
  15. wake — a trail
  16. squash — the sport
  17. mine — for digging
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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