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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. lie — to recline
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. season — in sport
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. spring — the season
  11. present — there
  12. squash — to crush
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. spring — of water
  15. present — the time now
  16. season — of the year
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. chair — a leader
  20. spring — a coil
  21. present — a gift
  22. squash — the sport
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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