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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. ball — a great time
  3. spell — a short time
  4. roll — a list
  5. spell — letters
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. roll — a cake
  10. lie — to recline
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. wound — an injury
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. season — in sport
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. season — of the year
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wound — an injury
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. squash — the sport
  23. ball — a dance
  24. spell — magic

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