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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mate — a friend
  3. squash — to crush
  4. tube — a container
  5. track — to keep track
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. object — an aim
  8. track — a path
  9. mate — to breed
  10. track — a song
  11. lie — to recline
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — the underground
  14. mate — a partner
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — tied together
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bound — certain
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — a thing
  24. squash — the sport

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