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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. ground — a position
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lie — to recline
  9. ground — crushed
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. drill — army training
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. present — there
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. drill — the tool
  18. ground — the earth
  19. present — the time now
  20. squash — the sport
  21. present — a gift
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. drill — a practice
  24. squash — to crush

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