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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. key — in music
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. squash — the sport
  5. stand — to bear
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. suit — clothes
  8. date — the fruit
  9. squash — to crush
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. key — the most important part
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — in cards
  16. kid — child
  17. kid — to tease
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. rush — hurry
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. key — for a lock
  23. kick — in football
  24. stand — for spectators

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