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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: foot · bat · lean · lie · spell · squash · rush · stick

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bat — the animal
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lie — to recline
  9. foot — a measure
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. spell — magic
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. squash — the sport
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. rush — hurry
  17. lean — to bend
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. spell — letters
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. spell — a short time
  24. squash — to crush

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