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

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. squash — to crush
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. craft — boats
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bound — certain
  11. squash — the sport
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. shower — to wash
  14. tube — a container
  15. hand — in cards
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bound — obliged
  18. shower — rain
  19. craft — a skill
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. bound — tied together
  22. toast — bread
  23. hand — help
  24. tube — the underground

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