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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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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: squash · game · rest · suit · lie · present · firm · hand

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. firm — a company
  3. game — a match
  4. present — the time now
  5. lie — to recline
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. present — a gift
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. present — there
  10. suit — in cards
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — steady
  13. squash — the sport
  14. game — wild animals
  15. suit — clothes
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. hand — in cards
  19. rest — a break
  20. hand — help
  21. suit — to fit
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. rest — what's left
  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