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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — size or range
  7. charge — in control
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. ball — a great time
  13. rock — a stone
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. charge — electricity
  16. rock — music
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. snap — to click
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. charge — a price
  22. kick — in football
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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