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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.

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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: rest · lie · game · craft · tear · foot · deal · squash

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. game — a match
  5. tear — to rip
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. game — wild animals
  8. tear — from crying
  9. craft — boats
  10. rest — a break
  11. foot — a measure
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. squash — to crush
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. squash — the sport
  16. craft — a skill
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. tear — from crying
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. lie — to recline
  21. rest — what's left
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. game — a kind of play

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