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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. squash — the sport
  7. hand — in cards
  8. lean — thin
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. pit — in a race
  14. lean — to bend
  15. charge — electricity
  16. squash — to crush
  17. charge — in control
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. kick — in football
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. hand — help
  22. pit — a hole
  23. charge — a price
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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