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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mug — a face
  4. file — a document
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. object — to protest
  7. squash — to crush
  8. rest — what's left
  9. object — a thing
  10. file — a tool
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. file — a line of people
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. charge — a price
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. charge — in control
  18. mug — a cup
  19. object — an aim
  20. charge — electricity
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. dip — to sink
  24. mug — to rob

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