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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. sharp — clever
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. tear — to rip
  9. tear — from crying
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pitch — completely
  14. squash — the sport
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pass — a permit
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. lie — to recline
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. leaves — to go away

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