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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. squash — to crush
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. saw — the tool
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. clip — to cut
  10. clip — for paper
  11. season — in sport
  12. chip — to eat
  13. lie — to recline
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. chip — for betting
  21. clip — a video
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. squash — the sport
  24. nail — on a finger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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