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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fork — in a road
  10. scale — in music
  11. pass — a permit
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. scale — size or range
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. lie — to recline
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. squash — to crush

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