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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. club — for dancing
  3. saw — the tool
  4. firm — steady
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. lie — to recline
  7. club — for golf
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. firm — decided
  10. squash — the sport
  11. club — a group
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. firm — a company
  15. saw — the tool
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. squash — to crush
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. snap — to click
  23. plane — a tool
  24. lie — an untruth

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