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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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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 · current · fork · suit · squash · wake · lie · pound

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. current — electric
  3. lie — to recline
  4. squash — the sport
  5. mug — a face
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wake — a trail
  8. mug — to rob
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. current — of water
  11. squash — to crush
  12. suit — clothes
  13. current — happening now
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. mug — a cup
  16. pound — a weight
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. fork — in a road
  20. suit — to fit
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. suit — in cards

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