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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 116 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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. charge — in control
  3. row — to paddle
  4. squash — the sport
  5. rest — what's left
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. kid — to tease
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. squash — to crush
  10. rest — a break
  11. kid — child
  12. lie — to recline
  13. face — to point toward
  14. charge — electricity
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. face — to confront
  20. charge — a price
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. row — a line
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. face — part of the head

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