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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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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. row — a line
  3. march — music
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. staff — employees
  7. squash — the sport
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. rock — music
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. staff — employees
  14. march — the month
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bore — to drill
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rule — government
  19. march — the month
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. squash — to crush
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bore — to tire

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