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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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. row — a quarrel
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — to bear
  6. row — a line
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. deal — to handle
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bass — low music
  18. squash — to crush
  19. row — to paddle
  20. wax — to grow
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bass — the fish
  24. lie — to recline

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