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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. mine — for digging
  6. squash — the sport
  7. lie — to recline
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. ground — crushed
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. ground — a position
  17. land — to come down
  18. squash — to crush
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. ground — the earth
  22. land — a country
  23. kick — in football
  24. land — ground

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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