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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. rest — a break
  4. mine — for digging
  5. branch — a division
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. kick — in football
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. squash — to crush
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. tube — a container
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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