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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. lie — to recline
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. rash — hasty
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bore — to drill
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bore — to tire
  14. branch — a division
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. squash — the sport
  17. stand — to bear
  18. kid — child
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. rash — a series
  22. kid — to tease
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. stand — for spectators

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