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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. stand — to bear
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. track — a path
  5. wind — moving air
  6. squash — to crush
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. kick — in football
  11. last — finally
  12. track — to keep track
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. scale — in music
  16. squash — the sport
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. scale — size or range
  19. wind — moving air
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. last — final
  23. track — a song
  24. last — to go on

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