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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. rash — hasty
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. squash — the sport
  6. cap — a hat
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bore — to tire
  9. mate — a partner
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. cap — of ice
  13. squash — to crush
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. hand — help
  19. mate — to breed
  20. hand — in cards
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bore — to drill
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rash — a series

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