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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. squash — to crush
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — a friend
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. squash — the sport
  7. cue — a signal
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. cue — for pool
  13. last — finally
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. last — to go on
  16. lean — to bend
  17. mate — to breed
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. lean — thin
  20. cue — a hint
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. last — final
  24. lie — to recline

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