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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 116 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. pitch — completely
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. spell — magic
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. saw — the tool
  8. object — a thing
  9. squash — to crush
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — part of the head
  14. squash — the sport
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. lie — to recline
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — a short time
  22. object — an aim
  23. face — to confront
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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