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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. squash — the sport
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — a trail
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mug — a cup
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. ball — a great time
  11. mug — a face
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. lean — thin
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lean — to bend
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. squash — to crush
  21. ball — a dance
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. cell — in biology

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