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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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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: pass · fork · squash · kick · saw · stick · rest · lie

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. lie — to recline
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. saw — the tool
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rest — what's left
  14. fork — in a road
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. kick — in football
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. pass — a permit
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. rest — a break
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — the sport

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