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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 120 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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. squash — the sport
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cue — a hint
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cue — a signal
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. board — a committee
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. board — to get on
  19. rush — hurry
  20. cue — for pool
  21. squash — to crush
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. kid — child
  24. kid — to tease

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