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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. spring — of water
  3. squash — the sport
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. pit — in a race
  6. chip — for betting
  7. roll — a cake
  8. can — a tin
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. can — to be able to
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. roll — a list
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — the season
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. can — a tin
  23. chip — to eat
  24. lie — an untruth

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