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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. firm — steady
  3. charge — in control
  4. firm — decided
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. charge — a price
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. kick — in football
  14. lie — to recline
  15. squash — the sport
  16. charge — electricity
  17. roll — a cake
  18. squash — to crush
  19. roll — a list
  20. firm — a company
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. squash — the vegetable

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