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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. clip — to cut
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a dance
  5. cap — a hat
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. ball — a great time
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. clip — a video
  17. cap — a lid
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. snap — to click
  21. clip — for paper
  22. cap — of ice
  23. squash — the sport
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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