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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 116 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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. lie — to recline
  3. band — a ring
  4. current — happening now
  5. bear — the animal
  6. snap — to click
  7. current — of water
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. current — electric
  10. band — a music group
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. land — ground
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. land — to come down
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. pit — a hole
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. land — a country
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. squash — the sport

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