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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. last — to go on
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. saw — the tool
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. saw — the tool
  9. squash — to crush
  10. swing — music
  11. deal — to handle
  12. squash — the sport
  13. net — after costs
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. swing — in golf
  17. lean — thin
  18. net — for catching
  19. last — finally
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. net — in sport
  22. swing — to play on
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. lie — to recline

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