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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cold · deal · toast · lie · bass · rush · squash · tube

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. deal — to handle
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. toast — bread
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. tube — a container
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. bass — low music
  14. squash — the sport
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. cold — not warm
  19. cold — an illness
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. lie — to recline
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bass — the fish

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