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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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  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 — to crush
  2. cold — an illness
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. face — to confront
  7. cold — not warm
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a dance
  11. lie — to recline
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. can — to be able to
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ball — a great time
  17. face — to point toward
  18. can — a tin
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. squash — the sport
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. can — a tin
  23. squash — the vegetable
  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