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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 116 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: lie · squash · season · cabinet · shower · object · sharp · pound

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. sharp — clever
  3. object — a thing
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. squash — the sport
  6. lie — to recline
  7. season — in sport
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — to wash
  10. season — of the year
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. object — to protest
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. object — an aim
  23. pound — a weight
  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