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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bore — to drill
  5. hand — help
  6. squash — to crush
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. squash — the sport
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. mate — to breed
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bore — to tire
  14. deal — to handle
  15. lean — to bend
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. lean — thin
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. mate — a partner
  24. hand — in cards

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