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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: mug · squash · lie · chest · rule · mine · bass · game

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bass — the fish
  5. game — a match
  6. squash — to crush
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — a box
  11. squash — the sport
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. mug — a face
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mug — a cup
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. rule — government
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bass — low music
  23. lie — to recline
  24. rule — a law

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