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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. foot — a measure
  5. rule — a law
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. squash — the sport
  8. lie — to recline
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. rock — music
  11. squash — to crush
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. rule — government
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bark — to shout
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. pitch — completely
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. pitch — a sports field

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