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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  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 sport
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. lie — to recline
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. drill — army training
  7. saw — the tool
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. object — a thing
  10. drill — a practice
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. rush — hurry
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. squash — to crush
  16. object — an aim
  17. saw — the tool
  18. drill — the tool
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. object — to protest
  21. wax — to grow
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. dip — to sink
  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