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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. band — a music group
  3. squash — to crush
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. mark — a grade
  7. lean — to bend
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. squash — the sport
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lean — thin
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. band — a ring
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. jam — in traffic

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