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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. tube — a container
  3. ground — the earth
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. cold — an illness
  6. rash — a series
  7. lie — to recline
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. cue — a signal
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. squash — the sport
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. ground — a position
  17. cold — not warm
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. tube — the underground
  20. ground — crushed
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. rash — hasty
  24. squash — to crush

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