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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. snap — to click
  3. kick — in football
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. lie — to recline
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. firm — decided
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. squash — to crush
  12. firm — steady
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. firm — a company
  16. current — of water
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. current — electric
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. current — happening now
  24. fan — a supporter

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