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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pound — a weight
  3. squash — to crush
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rash — a series
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. perch — the fish
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. field — a subject
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. squash — the sport
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — farmland
  24. rash — hasty

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