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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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. wave — of the sea
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. last — final
  6. lie — to recline
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. stock — goods
  9. squash — the sport
  10. clip — for paper
  11. mark — a trace
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. stock — shares
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. squash — to crush
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. mark — a grade
  18. last — finally
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. clip — to cut
  21. last — to go on
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. clip — a video
  24. wave — with your hand

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