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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 116 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. sharp — clever
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. game — wild animals
  8. mate — to breed
  9. object — an aim
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. squash — the sport
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. mate — a friend
  16. object — to protest
  17. game — a match
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wax — to grow
  23. lie — to recline
  24. object — a thing

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