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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: lie · cold · jam · lean · spell · calf · straw · squash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. cold — an illness
  3. cold — not warm
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. squash — the sport
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. spell — a short time
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lean — thin
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. spell — letters
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. spell — magic
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. jam — a tight spot

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