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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. track — a song
  6. lie — to recline
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. hand — help
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. kid — child
  11. track — a path
  12. kid — to tease
  13. track — to keep track
  14. squash — the sport
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. mark — a grade
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. hand — in cards
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. mark — a trace

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