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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 116 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. squash — the sport
  4. firm — a company
  5. current — happening now
  6. squash — to crush
  7. chip — for betting
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. content — the amount
  12. firm — steady
  13. current — of water
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. firm — decided
  16. band — a ring
  17. chip — to eat
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. current — electric
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. content — happy
  24. hide — to keep secret

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