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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. suit — in cards
  4. rock — a stone
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. rock — music
  7. suit — to fit
  8. squash — the sport
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bound — certain
  14. capital — money
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. deal — to handle
  17. lie — to recline
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bound — obliged

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