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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. club — a group
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. club — for dancing
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. club — for golf
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. wind — moving air
  15. ball — a great time
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the sport
  19. ball — a dance
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. wind — moving air

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