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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. face — to confront
  5. rock — a stone
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. squash — to crush
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. face — to point toward
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — a match
  14. squash — the sport
  15. mark — a grade
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — completely
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. lie — to recline
  21. game — wild animals
  22. mark — a trace
  23. rock — music
  24. face — part of the head

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