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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. rush — hurry
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. last — finally
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. last — final
  8. squash — the sport
  9. object — an aim
  10. last — to go on
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. object — a thing
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. object — to protest
  19. lie — to recline
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. toast — bread
  24. kick — in football

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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