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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. pitch — completely
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. lie — to recline
  7. rest — what's left
  8. squash — to crush
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. current — happening now
  11. staff — employees
  12. rest — what's left
  13. shower — rain
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. staff — a stick
  17. current — of water
  18. staff — employees
  19. squash — the sport
  20. shower — to wash
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. current — electric
  23. rest — a break
  24. deal — an agreement

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