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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pit — in a race
  6. mine — for digging
  7. bank — for money
  8. lie — to recline
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bank — of a river
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. file — a document
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bank — for money
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. pit — a hole
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. chest — of your body
  22. squash — the sport
  23. chest — a box
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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