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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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. lie — an untruth
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. plane — a tool
  7. rest — what's left
  8. field — a subject
  9. rest — what's left
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. field — farmland
  12. pitch — completely
  13. root — of a word
  14. squash — the sport
  15. root — of a plant
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. key — the most important part
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. field — for sport
  20. root — the cause
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. rest — a break
  23. key — in music
  24. key — for a lock

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