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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. row — to paddle
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the sport
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. cell — in biology
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. lie — to recline
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. board — to get on
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rush — hurry
  18. cell — a phone
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. scale — size or range
  21. board — a committee
  22. snap — to click
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. cell — in a prison

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