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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. prune — to trim
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. hand — help
  5. current — happening now
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a line
  10. prune — to trim
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. current — of water
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. current — electric
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. vault — a safe
  21. lie — to recline
  22. foot — a measure
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — to crush

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