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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. squash — to crush
  3. lie — to recline
  4. firm — a company
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — to play on
  7. firm — steady
  8. pass — a permit
  9. tear — from crying
  10. charge — electricity
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. squash — the sport
  13. swing — music
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. charge — a price
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. tear — to rip
  21. firm — decided
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. straw — dry grass
  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