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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. kick — in football
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. object — a thing
  6. press — to push
  7. bat — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. press — newspapers
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the sport
  13. object — an aim
  14. press — a publisher
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — in a road
  18. object — to protest
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. kick — a thrill

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