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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. squash — to crush
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. current — happening now
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lean — to bend
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. spring — of water
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. toast — bread
  13. squash — the sport
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — the season
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. current — of water
  20. current — electric
  21. club — a group
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — for dancing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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