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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  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 — the sport
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. cap — of ice
  5. squash — to crush
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. can — to be able to
  9. snap — to click
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. cap — a hat
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. lie — to recline
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cap — a lid
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. can — a tin
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. can — a tin
  23. straw — dry grass
  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