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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. shower — rain
  4. club — a group
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. saw — the tool
  9. board — to get on
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. club — for golf
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. shower — to wash
  15. lean — thin
  16. saw — the tool
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. club — for dancing
  19. lie — to recline
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. board — a committee
  22. squash — the sport
  23. lean — to bend
  24. fan — a supporter

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