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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. spring — the season
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. squash — the sport
  7. track — a song
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. kick — in football
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. spring — a coil
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. mine — for digging
  21. spring — of water
  22. track — to keep track
  23. squash — to crush
  24. track — a path

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