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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 who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. fall — to drop
  3. land — to come down
  4. ball — a great time
  5. cue — a signal
  6. fall — to drop
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a dance
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. squash — the sport
  11. suit — in cards
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. land — ground
  15. land — a country
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. suit — to fit
  18. cue — for pool
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. fall — the season
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. lie — to recline
  23. cue — a hint
  24. suit — clothes

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