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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. dip — to sink
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. current — of water
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. firm — steady
  9. wake — a trail
  10. current — happening now
  11. club — a group
  12. firm — a company
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. current — electric
  16. club — for golf
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. band — a ring
  20. firm — decided
  21. squash — the sport
  22. lie — to recline
  23. club — for dancing
  24. band — a music group

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