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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bore — to tire
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — a gift
  6. cue — a hint
  7. squash — the sport
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bore — to drill
  10. present — there
  11. charge — a price
  12. cue — a signal
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. court — of law
  17. charge — electricity
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — for sport
  20. charge — in control
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. cue — for pool
  24. lie — an untruth

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