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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: leaves · roll · squash · rash · lie · deal · mug · bear

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — a series
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a cake
  10. bear — the animal
  11. squash — to crush
  12. mug — a face
  13. roll — a list
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. deal — to handle
  16. lie — to recline
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. mug — a cup
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mug — to rob

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