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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. squash — to crush
  4. drill — the tool
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — for catching
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. drill — army training
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stand — to bear
  15. net — after costs
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. drill — a practice
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. squash — the sport
  22. lie — to recline
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. lie — an untruth

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