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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. squash — the sport
  4. cue — a hint
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. sharp — clever
  9. cap — a lid
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. staff — a stick
  12. squash — to crush
  13. snap — to click
  14. cue — for pool
  15. kick — in football
  16. pound — a weight
  17. cap — a hat
  18. staff — employees
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. cue — a signal
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. cap — of ice
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. staff — employees

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