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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. squash — the sport
  4. band — a ring
  5. foot — a measure
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. rash — hasty
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. mark — a trace
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. band — a music group
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. rash — a series
  21. pit — a hole
  22. mark — a grade
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. pit — in a race

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