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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 120 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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. lie — to recline
  3. club — a group
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. object — a thing
  6. club — for dancing
  7. squash — the sport
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. object — an aim
  10. mug — a cup
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. last — final
  14. last — to go on
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. club — for golf
  17. mug — a face
  18. rush — hurry
  19. object — to protest
  20. cell — in biology
  21. mug — to rob
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. last — finally
  24. cell — a phone

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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