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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 120 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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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 · squash · mate · trunk · rush · nail · saw · clip

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. saw — the tool
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — to breed
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. squash — the sport
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. clip — to cut
  12. saw — the tool
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. lie — to recline
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. clip — a video
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. clip — for paper
  24. rush — hurry

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