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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. squash — the sport
  4. kick — in football
  5. squash — to crush
  6. staff — employees
  7. spell — letters
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. spell — a short time
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. game — a match
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — to eat
  16. lie — to recline
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. chip — for betting
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. spell — magic
  23. game — wild animals
  24. squash — the vegetable

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