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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. charge — in control
  4. lie — to recline
  5. firm — steady
  6. squash — the sport
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. charge — electricity
  10. date — the fruit
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — clever
  15. firm — a company
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. charge — a price
  18. squash — to crush
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. firm — decided

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