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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 that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mug — to rob
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. game — wild animals
  8. branch — a division
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. suit — in cards
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. kid — to tease
  16. kid — child
  17. lie — to recline
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — to crush
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — to fit
  22. mug — a cup
  23. game — a match
  24. pitch — completely

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