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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. squash — to crush
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. cap — a lid
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. cap — of ice
  8. rush — hurry
  9. can — to be able to
  10. squash — the sport
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. can — a tin
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. cap — a hat
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. row — a line
  17. can — a tin
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. row — to paddle
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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