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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. content — the amount
  3. lie — to recline
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. squash — the sport
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. swing — music
  9. pound — a weight
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. swing — to play on
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. race — a contest
  14. rush — hurry
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. race — humankind
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. content — happy
  22. swing — in golf
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. race — the arms race

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