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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. court — of law
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. mate — to breed
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rush — hurry
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. court — of a king
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mate — a partner
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bank — for money
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. court — for sport
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. squash — the sport
  20. mate — a friend
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. bat — the animal

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