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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 116 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: wind · spell · lie · track · mug · squash · bore · court

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. spell — a short time
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bore — to tire
  8. track — a song
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. squash — to crush
  13. mug — a face
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bore — to drill
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. court — for sport
  18. spell — letters
  19. court — of law
  20. wind — moving air
  21. track — a path
  22. track — to keep track
  23. spell — magic
  24. court — of a king

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