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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. wake — a trail
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. drill — army training
  7. cue — a signal
  8. squash — the sport
  9. drill — a practice
  10. ball — a great time
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. ball — a dance
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. cue — a hint
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. drill — the tool
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. lie — to recline
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. cue — for pool

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