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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. sharp — clever
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pop — to visit
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. pop — soda
  11. squash — to crush
  12. craft — boats
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — a skill
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — a partner
  18. squash — the sport
  19. mate — to breed
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. kick — in football
  24. pop — music

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