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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bark — to shout
  4. can — to be able to
  5. squash — the sport
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. clip — to cut
  10. lie — to recline
  11. clip — for paper
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. can — a tin
  14. rash — a series
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. can — a tin
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. clip — a video
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. deal — an agreement

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