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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.

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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. suit — to fit
  3. swing — to play on
  4. kick — in football
  5. rule — a law
  6. bass — low music
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. squash — to crush
  9. swing — in golf
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. squash — the sport
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bass — the fish
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — clothes
  20. swing — music
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. rule — government
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. arm — part of the body

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