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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. march — music
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. squash — the sport
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. date — the fruit
  19. chest — a box
  20. chest — of your body
  21. ball — a great time
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. march — the month
  24. march — the month

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