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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 120 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. charge — electricity
  3. squash — the sport
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. kid — to tease
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. kid — child
  9. club — for golf
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. lie — to recline
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — in control
  16. last — finally
  17. last — to go on
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. last — final
  21. club — for dancing
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. club — a group
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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