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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 120 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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. wound — an injury
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. tube — the underground
  7. shower — to wash
  8. lean — to bend
  9. foot — a measure
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. lie — to recline
  14. rock — a stone
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. shower — rain
  17. squash — to crush
  18. rock — music
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. squash — the sport
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. tube — a container
  24. lean — thin

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