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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fork — in a road
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. chest — a box
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pass — a permit
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. lie — to recline
  12. chest — of your body
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to click
  16. dip — to sink
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the sport
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. chest — of your body
  24. squash — the vegetable

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