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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. charge — a price
  4. squash — the sport
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. clip — for paper
  8. clip — to cut
  9. pit — a hole
  10. charge — electricity
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. kick — in football
  17. clip — a video
  18. charge — in control
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pit — in a race
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. kick — with a leg

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