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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bore — to drill
  6. mark — a trace
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. kid — to tease
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bulb — for light
  13. squash — the sport
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bore — to tire
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bulb — for light
  18. kid — child
  19. spring — the season
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. toast — bread
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. spring — a coil
  24. spring — of water

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