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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. pop — to visit
  4. land — ground
  5. fall — to drop
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cue — a signal
  8. pop — music
  9. fall — the season
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. lie — to recline
  12. cue — a hint
  13. pop — soda
  14. squash — the sport
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. land — a country
  17. fall — to drop
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. cue — for pool
  21. scale — in music
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. scale — size or range
  24. land — to come down

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