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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. fall — to drop
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. season — in sport
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. club — for golf
  16. club — a group
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. fall — the season
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. season — of the year
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. fall — to drop
  23. squash — to crush
  24. trunk — of a car

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