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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: toast · bore · mark · squash · chest · saw · court · lie

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bore — to drill
  3. mark — a trace
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. court — of a king
  6. squash — the sport
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. court — of law
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. chest — a box
  13. court — for sport
  14. mark — a grade
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bore — to tire
  17. toast — bread
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. chest — of your body
  20. saw — the tool
  21. squash — to crush
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. chest — of your body
  24. saw — the tool

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