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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lean — thin
  5. squash — the sport
  6. wind — moving air
  7. lie — to recline
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. mug — a face
  10. squash — to crush
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. mug — to rob
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — for catching
  19. wind — moving air
  20. net — in sport
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — to bend
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. squash — the vegetable

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