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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. prune — to trim
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. suit — to fit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. lie — to recline
  9. roll — a list
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. date — the fruit
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. suit — in cards
  16. roll — a cake
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. squash — to crush
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. suit — clothes
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. squash — the sport

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