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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 120 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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. firm — steady
  3. cell — in biology
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bank — of a river
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. lie — to recline
  12. squash — the sport
  13. firm — decided
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bank — for money
  18. firm — a company
  19. cell — a phone
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bank — for money
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. squash — to crush

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