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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. cold — not warm
  4. present — the time now
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. fall — to drop
  7. present — there
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — the sport
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. can — a tin
  14. present — a gift
  15. cold — an illness
  16. foot — a measure
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. suit — in cards
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. suit — clothes
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. squash — to crush
  24. kick — in football

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