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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. squash — to crush
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. squash — the sport
  8. bound — tied together
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bound — obliged
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. ground — crushed
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bound — certain
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. ground — a position
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. ground — the earth

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