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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. rule — government
  7. squash — the sport
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. kick — in football
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. rule — a law
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. pitch — completely
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — a measure
  22. squash — to crush
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. kick — with a leg

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