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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — to crush
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bat — the animal
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. date — the fruit
  10. firm — a company
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. firm — steady
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. swing — music
  20. firm — decided
  21. saw — the tool
  22. lie — to recline
  23. swing — to play on
  24. date — on the calendar

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