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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. deal — to handle
  6. content — the amount
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. roll — a cake
  13. wind — moving air
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. staff — a stick
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. staff — employees
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. content — happy
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. roll — a list
  23. squash — to crush
  24. staff — employees

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