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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. present — there
  3. face — to point toward
  4. squash — to crush
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bound — obliged
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cue — a hint
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bound — certain
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — in football
  13. face — part of the head
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bound — tied together
  17. present — the time now
  18. face — to confront
  19. current — electric
  20. cue — a signal
  21. current — happening now
  22. current — of water
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. present — a gift

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