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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. spell — a short time
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. spell — letters
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. squash — the sport
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rash — a series
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. squash — to crush
  20. snap — to click
  21. mark — a trace
  22. spell — magic
  23. rash — hasty
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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