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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  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. charge — in control
  2. plane — a tool
  3. season — in sport
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. season — of the year
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. wake — a trail
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. charge — a price
  15. tear — from crying
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. squash — to crush
  19. charge — electricity
  20. tear — to rip
  21. tear — from crying
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. lie — to recline
  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