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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. lie — to recline
  3. rock — music
  4. mug — to rob
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. mug — a cup
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. prune — to trim
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a ring
  15. face — part of the head
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mug — a face
  18. squash — to crush
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — a grade
  21. face — to confront
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. face — to point toward
  24. rock — a stone

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