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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 120 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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bank — of a river
  6. lie — to recline
  7. squash — to crush
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bank — for money
  11. game — wild animals
  12. bank — for money
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. squash — the sport
  21. game — a match
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. plane — in geometry

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