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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  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. ruler — a monarch
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. present — there
  5. swing — to play on
  6. dip — to sink
  7. kid — child
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. kick — in football
  10. squash — the sport
  11. present — a gift
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. swing — in golf
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. swing — music
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. present — the time now
  22. squash — to crush
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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