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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. kick — in football
  3. bass — the fish
  4. mug — a cup
  5. squash — to crush
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. squash — the sport
  8. mug — a face
  9. rest — a break
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. rest — what's left
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. board — to get on
  15. current — happening now
  16. rest — what's left
  17. current — of water
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. board — a committee
  21. bass — low music
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. current — electric

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