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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 120 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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. charge — a price
  3. rest — what's left
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. mate — a friend
  8. cold — not warm
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bore — to drill
  12. squash — the sport
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. charge — in control
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. deal — to handle
  17. mate — a partner
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bore — to tire
  21. charge — electricity
  22. lie — to recline
  23. mate — to breed
  24. cold — an illness

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